Futurity
by mosxyo
Summary: Lily has something burried deep within her that she doesn't even know is there. She loves James, but life can be scary at times and she has to choose: magical world-hell or the traditions of Kyoto and a life of something she's not.
1. Part 1A

Futurity  
  
MomoYome  
  
Recently, I've gotten a lot of hate mail (even people sending me porn sites, don't ask me why) and really nasty reviews. I thought of giving up writing, but I write for me, not or you, so if you don't like it, you **CAN KISS MY WHITE ASS!**  
Started: March 24, 2003. Finished: April 21, 2003. 

Until the day my life changed, the day I met James Potter, I was really just a lost soul wandering around trying to find out who I was and what I was meant for. I was a complete pushover with some things, things I shouldn't have been, but I won't name any because we pretty much know what I'm talking about. 

I was a pretty careless person, too. Okay, so you could call me 'Punk' or something or other, but I don't like to label myself. James was just an acquaintance of mine. I had meet him once last year during a school project, but we hardly spoke since. That day I didn't know he changed my life, it was hidden from myself, in the depths of my very existence. 

James gave me my first and only nickname that people still use today: Pumpkin. "Lily," He said to me that night we were up late together working on the project.   
  
"Hmm," I said looking over some notes ready to make the next step. 

"You remind me of a pumpkin, I'll call you Pumpkin," I looked at him weirdly and shrugged off the odd comment. I can hardly brush off that comment even today.   
  
"Is it the red hair?" I asked pulling at some of my chin length hair. It's grown much longer, almost half way to my shoulders.  
  
"Kind of...it's just that you look rough on the outside, but on the inside you're soft...once you get past that rough exterior, you can really experience your kindness,"   
  
He didn't know what he was saying. I wasn't like that with anyone else except him, it was really sub conscience behavior. 

After that week we spent together working on the project wasn't much to me then, but now, I don't know, it means something more. More because we were so bloody in love we didn't even realize it!   
  
Over break I died my hair brown, yet my name Pumpkin stayed with me, and I guess I accept it now as my new name.   
  
**

"What's new, Pumpkin?" 

"Nothing really," I said sipping my pumpkin juice. I set it down and swirled it around. "Got a letter from home," I said casually. Aya Stopped breathing almost at the sound of me mentioning home. 

"What?" I asked her. 

"Nothing," She mumbled placing scrambled eggs on her plate. "What did _they_ want?" She asked me. 

"_They _don't want me staying in England with my aunt over Christmas Hols, they want me to spend it their," I rolled my eyes tossing her the letter. Aya took it and examined the characters.   
  
"What's this one," She pointed to two of them. "I haven't read hiragana in ages," she said with some egg still in her mouth. 

"Sato," I said feeling how could they almost kick me out and then ask me home? I shock my head. Aya placed the letter down and shook her head. 

"Some mom," She said continuing her breakfast. "And Nanka went all that way?" She was referring to my orange owl. I was feeling egotistical that day and gave it my nickname, in Japanese so people (except Aya) wouldn't think of me as some big Ego.   
  
"No, it was some other owl," I was now finished with my breakfast. "I hope it's not to discuss Tachibana," I sighed in my seat. Before Hogwarts he was a big problem, I mean it wasn't him, it was my mom and step-dad forcing him on me. Not physically, but they wanted me to like, marry him. I was in no position to and decided to get all punky in hopes that he would loose interest in me. 

"Uhhh," Aya had never met him, but knew who he was. "That sucks, you never asked for any of this," Ever since my mother married my step-father when I was four had caused this. My real dad was British and my mom met him on a shopping trip to France. Yeah, a shopping trip. My mom (not to brag) was a granddaughter of one of the Baron's that once were part of Japan's politics and got a large sum of money being the only grandchild. None of this is very important yet, so we'll go over it later on. 

"Not exactly, but I guess it kind of comes with the territory." We grabbed our stuff, and went up the stairs to Charms. The one thing I did wrong that day was leave that letter laying on the table. I had totally forgotten I had left it there. 

**  
  
We were the first ones to Charms, like always. We took our seats in the middle of the classroom. Aya's eyes soon lit up with excitement and she started wiggling with excitement. "Pumpkin!" She squealed. "I have an idea!" She said to me. 

"What?" I asked knowing that it would be stupid. 

"Bring someone home with you, show them that you've got a boyfriend and that you don't need Tachibana," She looked excited about this prospect of hooking me up with someone up...permanently. "It needs to be someone that you've never been with before," She bit her lip as she looked at the students who were now entering the room. 

"Sirius...he'll never settle down...Remus, he already has a girlfriend...." She bit her lip going through potential people. What she didn't know that I now know that the very last person any one would expect would be the one. 

"Aya, I don't think that this will work," I said shortly before class started. Aya ignored all that I said and started writing things in hiragana. I paid no attention to them, it was a list of I don't know what. Occasionally she would bite the tip of her quill thinking of the proper character. 

Flitwick today told us about our mock exams that will take place after break. I swear, they put too much influence on those damn tests, and you want to know a secrete? They weren't that hard at all. I think they wanted to scare us into a good grade. 

"No good," She crossed a name off the list. By the end of class she had one name left and wouldn't let me see the paper. It now had a full outline of the plan. I rolled my eyes at her stupidity. 

"How many days till vacation?" I asked her after class. Aya looked at her watch that had the date on it. 

"Uhhh..." She counted in her head. "14." She said.   
  
"Aya," I said with my serious tone. "I don't think that I could get anyone to fly nearly half way across the world with me _and _pretend to be my boyfriend," It was completely true, at least that's what I thought at that moment in time. No one would want to spend more than one night with me. It was something about 'commitment.' 

"Who knows, maybe James would want to. You two looked so cute two years ago..." I raised my eyebrow at the mention of quiet studious James Potter. Well, he really did open up with me that week nearly two years ago, but I didn't think of that. 

"No, he's too nice to even think of going on a date with me," We stopped and I waved goodbye to her. I went to Arrhythmic and she went to Ancient Runes. 

But I couldn't help but think about what kind of couple we would make. It would be the strangest thing since they came out with yogurt that comes in a tube. Or maybe juice that comes in a can. 

I tapped my pencil the whole time on the prospect of going home for the holiday. There might be snow, that would be acceptable. But Mom would bring up me dress, oh, that would be hellish indeed. 

I ran my right hand through my hair and continued on writing formulas down that the witch was writing on the board. Even though I was writing, I found that my mind was drifting off to the opposite side of the classroom towards James (we had all the same classes). I snapped my self back into the idea that I would never go for anyone who was like him. 

**  
  
What made me think the most the next week was what to do about my appearance. I didn't always do what my mother told me to do, and most of the time I ignored her, but I wanted to make a somewhat decent impression. You could say that if you saw me in kimono that I'd still look as punk as ever. I needed to fix that. 

So that weekend Aya and me went into Hogsmeade and went to a robe shop that carried all sorts of robes and clothing. 

The place smelt of pocket lint with a hint of lemon (don't ask why, I think the witch who owned it liked lemon or something or other). It was dimly lit by candles that were placed sporadically about. The witch came up to us and asked what we were looking for. Aya told her and she sucked on the bottom of her lip and then disappeared and came back with a few selections. 

Aya sent me to change into a black one with a white obi (belt). I came out to Aya's eyes. She looked me up and down and shook her head. "No, it clashes too much with your hair," I looked up at my hair (all the brown was cut off and left the dark red with specks of black here and there (yes, it is natural!). I shrugged and tried a few more on and none of them seemed to suit me or my hair. 

I picked up the last one in the dressing room and looked at the pattern. The kimono was dark blue, like the sky at sunset. It faded into a light blue at the bottom and it had embroidery of stars. I thought it was so gorgeous. I looked closer at it and say that in the sky had a light touch of gray. I put it on a tied the black obi in the back with a little difficultly as I had had before. 

I turned around in the mirror and looked at the reflection on the fifteen year old standing before the reflection. My hair was pulled up in a ponytail and then put into a bug on top of my head with a few black ribbon that I curled this morning. 

"...everything will be fine, it's just one game we need you..." I heard the voice of Sirius Black in the front of the shop and disregarded it. James and Sirius were never together, so he wouldn't see me. But why did I care what he thought. Still looking in the mirror I saw the blush come to my cheeks and darker them. Did I have any feelings for him?

I stepped out and Aya smiled. "I like that one," She said. I looked past her and saw the glasses glare from James Potter. He looked at me and did a double take at my appearance. I saw his dark blue eyes and how beautiful they were. I never saw them before from this perspective. It was great. 

We broke eye contact and he followed Sirius around the shop. I went back in and changed into my black baggy pants and red, yellow, and green stripped turtle neck (whoever said I don't get into the spirit of Christmas?!). I hung the kimono up and brought it out and paid for it with the money I had brought. The witch thanked us and we left, the bag clutched in my right hand. 

"I feel like a snow cone," I said vaguely. I seemed a little stunned at this but then I really wanted ice cream. 

"Pumpkin, it's like 40 degrees and look," We stopped in the snow and she looked around us. "We are in a snow cone!" She laughed. I laughed too. 

"I guess that's true, but nonetheless, I want one." I sucked on my pinkie finger the whole way back thinking about snow cones. I wanted one with grape flavoring. 

**  
  
It was weird that I wanted a snow cone that day in the snow, but I found out why, but that doesn't mean that I understand it. I thought about the snow cone the whole day, but by dinner, I had forgotten about it and ate chicken with ketchup. Don't knock it till you've tried it, it's really good. 

"Pumpkin," I looked across the table at James who had got the courage to talk to me. Not a lot of people did so I give him bonus points for that one. 

"Yes," I said swallowing a mouthful of chicken breast. 

"What was that you were wearing earlier today?" I was relieved at this. I'm glad he didn't ask me to go out with me or something of that kind. 

"Oh, that. It was a kimono." I said looking at the pitcher of pumpkin juice in front of me. I thought it would be a good idea to pour some so I did. 

"It was really pretty," He said "On you," I took a sip and nearly chocked, but then made sure he didn't notice this to offend him in any way. 

"Thank you," I took a napkin and whipped the pumpkin juice from my face. Aya's left eye moved to her side and watched us and then went back to a conversation about something stupid. 

"You're welcome," And that ended our little conversation that night. 

I finished up and went pocking around the castle under my invisibility cloak for no reason but just to be mischievous. It wasn't that I would do anything bad, just the thought of sneaking around was appealing to me. I didn't do this with Aya because she never approved of my midnight behaviors, but just accepted them knowing that she wouldn't change them. 

I looked at my watch and it read 1:17 a.m. I sighed that I hadn't found a single person out of bed roaming the halls after night. 

I made my way up a corridor of stairs and then hit something totally invisible in front of me that knocked me down to the foot of the stair. I rubbed my head and looked to see not one person that I could have knocked into. I saw a head floating in mid air and then threw the hood off my cloak. We looked so ridiculous that night. I wish I had a camera to capture our head with no bodies. 

I looked closer and saw that James Potter's head floating down the stairs to help me up. His hand came out and helped me to my feet. "Good morning," He said to me in a whisper. "I knew that someone else was out and about tonight," He smiled and I smiled back at him. 

"It's not everyday that two invisible people run into each other," I joked with him. He smiled and we started walking together up the stairs back to Gryffindor Common Room. 

"I guess so...What brings you out at this hour?" He asked me putting his hood on and just leaving his hand for me to follow. I did the same and they almost touched. 

"Just board and out to see if anyone else was out of bed," I said to him honestly. I surprised myself hearing the words come from my own mouth. 

"I guess you succeeded then," I shrugged. 

"I guess so," He got to the landing and walked some more together. "And you?" I asked him. "You're just as guilty as me,"   
  
"I was gong to the library, but now I won't because I don't want you walking around at night alone," Normally I would be offended if someone said that to me, but I was touched at his statement. If he could (and I later wanted him to) get under my cloak, I could have lighted up the whole of Tokyo. 

Did I have a crush on James Potter only because Aya's solution? You bet I did. 

**

The pressure from Aya to find someone to bring home was intense by the time Wednesday rolled around. "Pumpkin, if you get Tachibana shoved down your thought, don't blame me," I rolled my eyes at her stupid comment. I didn't even know if I would even see him. 

"Aya, I know you'd like to see me with someone permanently, but not for a while...I don't feel like being with anyone at this point in my life," I would tell her. But secretly, I had another thing on my mind. Wednesday night before any of the girls went to bed, I went up to the dorm and took out a shirt that I had worn one night when James and I worked together. It was a read sleeveless collar shirt. I hadn't worn it since that night, I don't even know why I still owned it. 

I took a sniff and smelt the essence of years gone by, when things were a tad easier. I closed my eyes. What was it that attracted me to James? I couldn't believe that after five years, just recently these emotions started springing up about. I folded the shirt back and stuffed it in my trunk on the end of my bed for safe keeping. Even years after I grew out of that shirt, it somehow remained close to me. 

I touched my invisibility cloak, but did not put it on. I noticed that my purple nails would soon be stripped of color by this time next week and it made me grown in that discomfort. my hand picked up a book I had been reading on the recommendation by a pen pal of mine. 

I had just come to the point of the young apprentice geisha's mizuage, when she would become a women, I guess. I laughed a little remembering when I had lost mine. That was over with now and didn't want to look back at that mistake I made. 

Chailuck, one of my dorm mates came in, beat read with her hair in a messy ponytail. "That James Potter, I don't understand why he's not on the team," She said throwing herself on her bed and taking slow breaths. She played a Chaser on the team.   
  
"What's up?" I asked placing my book down to listen. 

"Practice for the game. You know how Mike is out? James is replacing him for the game and damn, he's fast on a broom," She paused. "Who'da thought?" She asked. I shrugged. 

"I guess everyone's got a secret," I said. Mine was my secret developing crush on said person. 

**  
  
Aya came back late, after I had turned out my lights. I heard her vaguely and then went back to sleep. 

**

Thursday was the day I had planned the night before to pick what I was going to do: Go by myself or take a pretend boyfriend to ward off possible advances by Tachibana. 

I sat in class etching the pros and cons of it. When I counted them, they were even. I got frustrated and crumpled the paper up tore it up into little pieces when I got out of the class I was in. 

Care of Magical Creatures marked my final decision. Today was some hideous monster of a creature that I didn't want to associate with so Aya and myself sat under a tree and watched some people petting the ferocious thing. "Have you made up your mind yet?" I shook my head no as I pushed some snow out of the way for me to sit. 

Aya told me about not to go calling her when I'm board or something stupid like that. But I didn't feel like listening to her. I watched what looked like a blooming friendship between James Potter and Sirius Black. If Sirius could befriend James, why couldn't I? I mean, we were kind of the same person, only Sirius was male. I stood up and impulsively went to have a nice chat with them as Aya still talked, not even noticing that I was gone. 

"Hey Sirius," I said in my most friendliest way. "Hello James," I said to the one with the glasses. James smiled at me. 

"Hello Pumpkin Head!" Sirius joked around. I thought it amusing that the person standing next to him had given me that name. "What're you doing over break?" He asked me, not knowing about my plan. 

"Well, I was planning on flying back home," I said with a little dread in my voice. Sirius looked at me confused. Sirius knew how much I hated going home. "Actually, that's kind of why I came over here...Sirius, would you mind excusing us?" I asked looking at James for a fleeting moment. Then I thought of an incredibly good reason why I liked him: I wanted him because he was something I couldn't have. Why hadn't I thought of that before?

"Sure..." He dragged the word out and raised and eye brow and started moving away from us. I scratched the back of my head, trying to find the words to speak.

"Nice weather?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, " I couldn't agree with him more. "So, where are you heading for holidays?" I asked, fiddling with my wand in my pocket. 

"Home..." I could tell that there was more to this conversation than the weather and where he was going. 

"Well, since I was going home alone to a big house alone, since Aya has to go to Kyakhta then Ulaabaatar, I would so go with her, but my mother wants me home."   
  
"Where?" He asked totally confused. 

"Oh!" I smiled and giggled. Yes, I giggled. "Kyakhta is on the Russian/Mongolian boarder and Ulaabaatar is Mongolia's capital. It's really the middle of nowhere," No that I thought about it, I could just see Aya in Mongolia with her parents and younger sister. When she got the bad news a month ago, she nearly threw a fit. They were going because her grandmother was in Kyakhta, and her parents thought it nice to visit the Mongolian capital. That was really beyond me. 

"Yeah, it is. That's really to bad." 

"Anyway, since I'd be extremely board all by myself and no one else can come, would you come with me?" I asked him. I just couldn't go and say 'Hi, will you come with me half way around the world and pretend to be my boyfriend?' That would be stupid.

"Well, I'd have to check with my mum and dad, but I'd like to go with you," My life was really complete now. I swear. Three weeks with him, in Japan. Then maybe we could really become a real couple!

"Okay, cool. Just owl your parents tonight and ask them. I have plane tickets already. My mum sent me two so I could bring a friend." Class ended and I think I had a heart attack because I was so in heaven. 

"Errr. I wish I could go with you. I think that I'll freeze to death in Russia and Mongolia. I can't believe my parents and how _clueless _they are. Just because they want an adventure doesn't mean they have to drag me and Namie along." Aya told me as we walked back to the castle in the path of footprints. 

"Hey it could be worse. You could be in Tiksi." I tried to brighten her spirits. 

"Don't remind me. I think I would have killed myself I was there any longer. Thank GOD we left early because of Mum getting the crimson flow and us not being able to find her a tampon." She laughed. "And it was just to damn cold!" 

"See, it could always get worse," 

"So, now that you've got James to go with you, what're you going to do all alone...?" She asked, trying to suppress a perking smile. 

"Well, I have never been to one of their clubs before, I was to young to go. So I want to go to one, preferably in Tokyo." 

I bit my lip. I couldn't wait until I got to Japan. I'll tell you what: Mum will not think I'm a social reject. I'll be regal like she wants me to. This liking people really changes you...I think I should do it more often. 

**  
  
James got the okay with his parents, but I somehow doubt that he was telling the whole truth to his parents. I think I cracked his shell. I don't deserve _all _the credit. I knew he was bad somewhere deep in the inside.   
  
James and I sat in the Great Hall, our trunks packed, sitting and chatting. "...and then I snuck out and no one even noticed!" James said. He was bad, just like I secretly knew. I just didn't understand how come he wasn't friends with Sirius before a few weeks ago. 

"Wow James, you're so different at school," I said shuffling a deck of cards. "I mean, quiet James Potter. Does all of his homework and never does anything bad." 

"That's you too. I mean, you are quiet, and you never get _caught _making trouble. We're tied fro first in our class," I guess he did have a little point.

"Count me in," Aya said sitting next to me and looking tiered. 

"What's wrong with you?" I asked her feeling her forehead. 

"Just tiered. My trunk weighs about a ton. All that winter crap I need. But Mum says that I'll need more coats. Can't believe it..." She said shaking her head and picking up the cards that were drawn to her. 

"Go Fish everyone?" I asked. "What? It's a good game," I said placing what was left of the cards in the center. James shrugged. 

"Fine," Aya said pulling a few cards out and piling them next to her in pairs. 

We played for about twenty minutes and I won. I always win. I smiled as I shuffled the deck of cards and placed them in a box. 

"Pumpkin, can I talk to you," She looked at James. He stared back and then went away getting the hint of Aya's deep eyes. 

"What?" I asked her.   
  
"I wanted to ask you if he knows he's going to be your pretend boyfriends yet?" I shook my head no. 

"You'd better tell him," 

"I will," It seemed a lot easier in my head than it actually was. Things would be easy if I didn't like him so damn much, too. I had dug my self into a hole that I couldn't find a way out of. 

"Okay." Aya said. The call to board the Hogwarts Express came and everyone leaving for break left the castle. 

**  
  
When we boarded the Hogwarts Express, Aya disappeared into the compartment with Sirius. 

"Pumpkin, can I ask you two questions?" I looked up at him from my book. 

"Sure," I closed it with my bookmark shoved in it. 

"Why'd you keep that nickname?" That was a good question that I could have answered a week later, but I had trouble then. 

"I don't know. It was cute." I smiled while saying this. 

"And what's the real reason I'm going with you?" I guess sooner than later. 

"Well, there's this guy, Tachibana my mother wants me to get together with." I just had to tell him the truth. In a relationship, it's best to be honest. 

"Ph, so you want me to be like, someone who your with to ward him off?" 

"I know it's kind of shallow of me, but you'd do the same thing if you were in my position." I leaned my elbows on my knees and looked up at him. 

"I don't think it's shallow. And I know how you feel. I hate parents sometimes. They always think they know what's best for us." 

"I couldn't agree more," I agreed with him. 

**

I so wanted to tell him that I liked him then a there, but I was to stupid and blew the first opportunity. I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him. I'd been around a lot of guys, but none of them made me feel like this before. I'm sure if I kissed him, it would be completely different. 

Aya came back into our compartment half an hour until we reach Kings Cross. She sat herself next to me. And to my surprise, Sirius took a seat next to James. 

"Remember, you can't owl me or anything. There's no owl post or anything over there. No phones, not a fax machine, not one means to communicate." Aya told me. "And wear that Kimono we bought that looks like the night sky the first night." She whispered to me. I nodded half-heartily. 

The train too soon pulled into Kings Cross and Aya and me hugged tightly. "I'll miss you," We both said as we stepped off the train. I watched her wave to her mom, father and her ten year old sister, Namie. "See you soon!" She said walking away. 

I peered around looking for Nobu, my mother's assistant who I'd met a few times. "James, you understand that we're supposedly an item." Even then I didn't think why he was being so cooperative with me. He was practically flying across the planet with someone he just got friendly with recently. I was just extremely grateful that he was. 

"There's Nobu. He's kind of old fashioned." Nobu walked towards us 

"Good day, miss Lily," He said in broken English. "Who is this?" He asked me, his eyebrows raised seeing James' hand touch mine and then pull away. I was disappointed that he didn't take my hand. 

"Nobu, this is James," I introduced. He nodded and took our trunks for us. We walked behind him. "James, thanks," I said once again. 

"Anything for a pumpkin," This made me blush profusely as he kissed the side of my face. I couldn't tell if he was acting or not. If he was, he was very convincing. 

Nobu opened the door to the Cadillac for us and we scooted in the back. "Why are we taking a mafia car?" I asked crossing my legs. I always thought that people in the mob like Goti drove Cadillac's. 

It was a stupid question and Nobu just laughed. I laughed myself. Silence. 

"Kare za ichi anata aino desu ka." I thought about it. James looked at me. 

"What did he say?" James whispered. 

"It's not important...Moshikashite." I answered Nobu. Nobu shook his head and we continued on for London's airport. I wondered how Aya was doing. She was most likely buying more winter coats. 

**  
  
James and I sat in first class. Nobu did too, but sat a few seats in back of James and me. I felt rather thankful for this. "What did he say to you in the car?" James asked me. I blushed and looked away. 

"I told you, it isn't important. I'll tell you later if you want to know," I looked out the window, avoiding eye contact. If I did make eye contact, I'd certainly melt. 

"Okay," He said taking out a book and started to read. I watched him, his eyes darting across the page made me squirm. I only wish he looked at me like he looked at his book-full of passion. But sure, like he'd ever look at me like that. I think I'd have a better chance at I don't know, sleeping with him then having him like me. 

"What book are you reading?" I asked him. He showed me the cover of the book and I studied it. 

"The Age Of Innocence," James said. "My sister asked me to read it so I could help her understand it," He answered. I shook my head in understanding. 

"How old is she?" I asked him trying to make small talk. 

"Twelve, she goes to Hogwarts too. Everyone says that we're like twins, but I don't really agree with it." 

"Do you have a picture?" I asked James, wanting to see if I've ever seen her around school. 

"Ah, I think I do," He reached into his pocket for his wallet. "I have a few pictures." He opened it to all the pictures. "Here, you can look through them," 

The first picture was of him and his parents. He looked just like his dad. I turned to the next picture, "There she is," He said pointing to a girl with thigh length dark hair and dark eyes. She was really pretty. I flipped to the next picture of a girl with brown hair mid shoulder, batting her eyes. 

"Who's she?" I asked. James snatched his wallet away even though there was one left. 

"Old crush," He blushed crisom. I wanted to see the last picture. 

"Lemme see the last one," 

"As soon as you tell me what you and Nobu were talking about," He smiled and picked his book up and read. I really wanted to see the last picture, but I didn't exactly want to put my heart on the line just to see a picture. I'd find a way to see it-eventually. 

** 

I feel asleep after an hour or two of drawing. I was a little worried about talking in my sleep and revealing stuff that I wish no one to know. But thankfully, James went to sleep following my own flight to dreaming. 

My dream was strange, I could tell you that. I was in an old-fashioned tea house pouring tea for people I didn't recognize. After a few minutes I slipped away and then I woke up. 

My eyes opened up to find my head on James' shoulder. He looked at me. "Sorry," I said lifting my head off his shoulder. 

"It's okay, I was asleep anyway," 

"Oh, okay," I looked out the window and all that I saw was a bunch of clouds. I looked at my watch. We had another hour until we landed. I then kicked myself. Mentally, not physical. That would look really strange seeing a girl with blood red hair (and freckles which was strange since I'm part Japanese) kicking herself on a plane. I could have snuck a peek at his last picture.

I dug around in my purse for my walkman and slid a tape of Super Monkeys (You won't tell will you, I mean, a girl pop group isn't what I'm known to listen to). "What're you listening to?" James asked me after I closed my eyes to try and fall back to sleep. My eyes opened to look at him. I slid the headphones from my head. 

"Super Monkeys," I said putting the headset on him. My heart pounded when I placed it on his head. He laughed. I laughed, it was one of the most memorable moments seeing the smile pressed against him cute face. I forgot all the troubles because he was smiling at me. God, I need to tell him. He could like me back. Except that one little problem. That girl. If she was an old crush, why was the picture still in his wallet? But I couldn't believe that he told me he had a crush on her. He kind of trusted me with that information. 

**

When we arrived in late afternoon (remember the time switch) James and I were fine because of all the sleep we had on the plane. When we stepped off the airplane, James was a little taken aback when he looked out the window and saw all the people outside of Tokyo International Airport. "Wow," He was all the words you really needed to sum it all up. 

"Hold my hand so you don't get lost." Okay! You caught me, I wanted to hold his hand, and I couldn't miss this opportunity. He gripped my hand. That didn't surprise me so much, but when he laced his fingers between mine made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. 

Nobu led us to a train station. I thought a second, dully not remembering what it was. "Oh," I spoke aloud. It was the Shinconsen. 

**  
  
I haven't been on that train in ages. "Don't look out the window," I warned James. "It'll make you sick. When I was little, I did and I threw up my lunch." James backed away from the window not wanting to loose what food he had in his stomach. 

"Where're we going?" He asked me. 

"Kyoto. It's so pretty there. Gets hot as hell in the summer," I added. I felt eyes on me as I spoke. "Nani, ookinaosewa!" I said in the most aggravated voice I could muster. The school girls looked away from me and went back to their stupid Nakayoshi magazines. They were too old for them, they must be extremely immature. I crossed my arms. 

"What'd you just say?" James whispered into my ear. 

"I basically told them to leave me alone," I mumbled crossing my legs together. "James," 

"Hmm?" I stumbled over my words, God, he was just so...James Potter! Why every girl wasn't falling for him was totally beyond me, because he was so adorable. 

"Nothing," I quickly dug out a magazine and flipped through it hastily. How was Aya able to tell Sirius how she feels? It was just so hard. 

**

The train stopped and the three of us (me, James, and Nobu) got off. "Kyoto was Japan's ancient capital. There are so many beautiful buildings here," I informed James. He pulled on one of his jackets and so did I. 

It looked like snow. The sky was dark gray, like before it snowed. I pulled my hood over my head since my ears were cold. "You look like a little Eskimo," He joked with me. I frowned. 

"It's Afabaskin, the politically correct term," I corrected him. My stomach turned at the site of my mother here to greet us. "That's my mother," I said pointing to the lady in a black leather jacket. James nodded. "If I cough, it means Tachibana is with them or any mention of him or anything similar." I said since he wouldn't understand our conversation because my mom didn't speak English unless she absolutely had to. 

"Hello, Mother," I said bowing to show her respect. "This is James," I spoke in Japanese. "My boyfriend," I took his hand and squeezed it. I felt a little bad for James. He didn't have a clue as to what I was saying and he was in a country where he didn't speak the language. 

"Oh, a boyfriend," She said looking at him up and down. James shifted uncomfortably as she looked him over. "Well, you do know that Tachibana-" COUGH, COUGH "Is still available. James looked at me and placed his arm around me as if to say she's mine. I only wish it was for real. That would be the greatest thing in the world. 

We moved together into a car parked in the parking lot. "James," I whispered before we got in the car. I had a plan since I couldn't talk to him without anyone not knowing what we were saying. 

"Yeah?" He asked.   
  
"Do you know the alphabet in sign language." I asked hastily. He nodded. "Good," He then let me slide in first and then he sat next to me (Mom and Nobu in front).   
  
I started signing to him. _thanks for that, Mom seemed a little mad about me having a boyfriend. _

_Well, what about Tachibana? _He asked

_he is still available no doubt I will somehow meet with him. _

_Okay anything you need ask_

I smiled at his gesture of kindness. No guy had ever shown me this type of respect before. It was just so kind that he respected me. I should have noticed it then, that he had never thought of me as some whore. He thought that I was good, no evil in me like some people had sometimes thought. 

**  
  
"You two should get some rest, that plane ride was long," Nobu suggested in English, which I was grateful to because James seemed a little uncomfortable when we spoke Japanese around him. "I'll take your stuff to your room Lily, you two James. It's right across from Lily's," I thought it was weird on the account that room was reserved for special people. But James was special to me, and Nobu knew that I had some feelings for James. 

"Wow, this places is so pretty," James said looking around at the wooden floors. He looked out into the gardens that my mom spent a lot of time in. 

"Thanks, you should see it in spring. It's gorgeous. When the cherry blossoms fall, it's just breathtaking," I lead him to the kitchens for something to eat. 

"Do you like ramen?" I asked him. I knew he would say no, but it was worth a try. 

"I don't think so," James responded. I leaned against the railing that lead to the upstairs. 

"Then you probably wouldn't like any of this stuff. Want to go to Mc Donald's. I think I remember one not to far from here," I smiled. 

"Sure," He agreed. 

"Come with me, I'll get some yen," I motioned his to climb the wooden staircase that led to the eight bedrooms (this was a little small as it was our Kyoto home. The one in Okinawa was the largest my step dad owned) the house contained. 

I slid the door open and walked into the room that had a few traces of dust. I went to my dresser and counted out some yen that I left up there. "Your room is really cool," James said to me looking out the window into the garden. 

"I like the spring much better, too much white in the winter," I commented sliding the yen into my purse that sat on top of the dresser. 

"What's that?" James pointed to my futon. 

"Oh, it's just a futon, why?" I said getting ready to go. 

"Is it a bed?" He looked puzzled. 

"Yeah, I know there's a lot to get used to, but in no time you'll think nothing of it," I took his hand instinctively (I didn't blush as much as I've done in the past if you wanted to know) and pulled him out of my room and eventually out of my house. 

We set down the sidewalk, me trying to balance on the curb. I held both of my hands out placing my hands out for extra balance. "You look like a little girl," I looked at him with I'm sure a funny expression. 

"Why'd you say that?" I jumped off and walked alongside James. "I'm the same age as you," 

"I meant that you reminded me of one." James shook his head. 

"Okay, I hope that was a good thing," We were walking for ten minutes, me being so stupid forgetting where we were planning on going. "Shouldn't we be there by now?" We stopped together. I looked at him strange. 

"What're you talking about?" Not knowing what he was talking about. 

"Mc Donald's," He said bluntly. Then I snapped back. 

"Oh, right!" I hit my forehead. "I was just tiered," And we kept going, only thins time the other way because I think we passed it when I was looking at James. 

** 

"No no no! If you were a fast food, you'd be a fish filet!" I told James. He had said if I was a fast food, I'd be a Big Mac. I stuffed some French fries into my mouth and chewed them. We sat inside at a table. 

"Fish? I hate fish," He told me. I took one final bite of my cheeseburger and then sipped my ice tea. "I never thought that I'd live to see sushi at Mc Donald's," He shook his head and took some fries and put them in his mouth. 

"I think it's just a special," I said looking at the menu at the counter. James shrugged. 

"It's still sushi..." He told me. I don't know what made me think of it, but at that moment I thought of a time when I was little and refused to wear a kimono to a fancy banquet. My mother pleaded with me to no end. She said that I could wear a dress instead. The closet she got was my school uniform. She wasn't happy when I showed up in it. "What're you thinking about?" James asked me. 

"Huh...! Oh, just about when I was little," I said taking a last sip of ice tea. "Ready?" I asked as I stared getting up. 

"I guess," 

**

When we walked outside a snowflake caressed my cheek and I looked up. "Look," I pointed at the sky. "It's snowing," I smiled as I watched the white bits drop from the sky. 

"Wow, it's really picking up," James noticed as the wind tugged at my hair. I nodded. We started our way back, but half way to my house, we were covered in white powder. 

"We'd better hurry before it gets too dark!" I said trying to trudge through the knee deep snow. James put his hand around my waist and picked me up. 

I was surprised at this action and didn't realize what was happening until it was almost over. I felt my blush come up, so I pulled my hood around my cheeks so James wouldn't see. I looked around at the surroundings. It was all beautiful. I ad never seen this road from this prospective before and it was breathtaking. 

On the side of the road was the a river that had large chunks of ice in it and the other side had trees with a layer of white powder to keep them warm. It was the perfect setting. I wished that I could enjoy a moment with James in this place. Maybe I would some other day

**

Nobu brought us hot chocolate when we got home and I changed into my pink Chinese style pajamas. They had Ying Fa (cherry blossom in either Cantonese or Mandarin, I can't remember. Nobu had told me, but I forget) all over the top and bottoms. They were made of silk because I liked the was it felt against my skin. 

I slipped my matching pink slippers on and with my hot chocolate, I walked across the hall into James' room. I knocked on the open door and pushed it open and saw James on his futon, his legs crossed and a mug in his hands. "Hello," I smiled. 

"Hello," James yawned back at me. He looked out the window. "We're lucky we didn't get caught in that," He motioned to the outside. It looked like a snow globe after it had been shaken a good number of times. 

"Then maybe Tachibana won't bother with me if it's snowing. Won't be able to get to me," I said with venom in my voice. He would be my only obstacle, and I didn't want that. 

"I don't think snow would be able to keep a man away from a women that he loved," 

**  
  
James' voice seemed to have some sort of double standard to it, but I didn't pick it up what the other meant, but I thought it wasn't that important. We talked until I left and I fell asleep in my warm futon, forgetting what tomorrow might bring my way. 

**  
  



	2. Part 1B

I hovered over James' sleeping form, my left index finger outstretched poking him repeatedly. "Poke, poke," I muttered to him in his ear. "Wake up," I whispered. James rolled over and looked at me with sleepy eyes. "Good morning sunshine," I smiled and took the covers off of him to get him awake. "It stopped snowing," I informed him. 

"Wha-?" He sat up rubbing his eyes with his fist and looked outside. "Wow, it's pretty," I couldn't agree more. 

** 

We dressed in our rooms quietly. I dug through my clothing to find something, anything. I settled on gray snowboarding pants I wore once when I went snowboarding in Nagano. I picked apart my dresser looking for a shirt and sweatshirt to wear that fit. I pulled on a long sleeved black shirt that had written in hiragana 'Bite Me'. I tied a sweatshirt around my middle and met James in the hallway. 

"You look nice," He told me. Wow, I was deprived of compliments. 

"Thanks," I told him. "We'd better act like we're a couple going down there, just in case Tachibana is down there," I noted to James. He nodded and took my hand and laced his fingers through mine. I lead him down the hall and down the stairs. 

My mouth fell open when I saw the person I despised most (besides Tachibana), Hitomi. Hitomi was my step-sister and the bitch from hell. She always seemed to find some flaw with me. She was just plain nasty to me. "Looks like this is going to be the trip from hell for me," I mumbled into James' ear. He looked at Hitomi reading Vogue Nippon, flipping the pages absentmindedly. 

"Who is that?" He said looking at Hitomi. 

"Step-sister," I winced. She smiled and ran to me. 

"Yuri-chan," She hugged me so tight I thought I would bust. Here it comes. She took a piece of my hair and tugged on it. I opened my mouth and then closed it and bit my lip. No one believed me that Hitomi was mean to me, so it would do no good to scream. 

"Ohayoo," I mumbled stepping back from her, fixing my hair from her tugging. I saw James looking at us confused. "Yuri is Lily in Japanese," I explained quickly. 

"long time no see, ne?" She put both of her hands on her hips. "All that time in England, you better visit," _Yeah, so it can be an all out war between us. _I thought as she said this. My mother came in after Hitomi's comment. 

"Lily, so you've seen that Hitomi came in earlier this morning," My mother was clad in dark blue pants outfit, complete with a matching hat. I was a tad surprised to see her up and dressed this early. 

"Yeah, we have had the _pleasure _of seeing Hitomi this morning," I said sarcastically, yet no one but James picked it up and snickered at it. 

"Hitomi, ready?" Hitomi nodded and stood next to my mom. "We're going to Tokyo for the day, important business with the Matsuura's," Mom stuck her nose in the air and they left. I felt pale. 

"Matsuura....ack, crap, I was right, Tachibana will make an appearance this holiday," I leaned against James after they left. 

"Pumpkin, can I ask you something?" James asked me, letting go of my hand. I looked at him. 

"Sure, what?" I sat on the couch where Hitomi was sitting and James sat next to me. 

"Well, it's been bugging me for some time...why do you go to school in England?" He asked me point blank, "I mean, you grew up here, why go to school so far away?" 

I laced my fingers together and prepared to answer, "Well, my father wasn't Japanese, it's kind of obvious that I'm not 100% Japanese like Aya is. Dumbledore met with my mom and they agreed it would be best to get me out of Japan for the time being." 

"Do you know who your father is?" He asked me. 

"Nope," 

**

I think over that day we became a little closer. We just laid in my room and talked about odd things. I forgot that then, I was falling more into love than ever before. I was getting closer to James than I had anyone (with exception of Aya) before. 

"So that's when I decided that Hitomi needed a haircut," I giggled telling James a story about Hitomi and my first row. 

"I can't believe what a mischievous girl you were!" James said laughing. 

"I guess I was, not a lot has changed," I said having both of my hands on my stomach. "I mean, I'd willingly sheer all of her perfect black hair off," I said. "But that will never happen," 

"You can always wish," He told me. I rolled over on my futon and looked at James. 

"James, who was that in your wallet," I would find out one way or another. 

"I told you, it was a very old crush. Nothing more," Something told me this wasn't the whole truth, only a little bit. 

"Don't play games, what's her name?" James sighed and turned over and faced me. 

"Chailuck," He said rolling his eyes. "She was the daughter of someone in my father's department. I don't like her anymore, I think I love someone else," 

"Who?" I asked smiling and anxious to hear who he 'loved'. 

"It's not important," He said matter-of-factly. "I'll tell you when you tell me what you and Nobu said in the car," He smirked at me. 

"Ahh! James Potter, you are so stubborn!" With that I threw my pillow at him. He hit me back on the head. 

** 

"Hey James, have you ever been to a club before?" I asked him after our immature pillow fight. We called it a truce 

"No..." He raised his eyebrow at me. "Why?" 

"Well, there is this one, but it's in Tokyo. We could go tonight! Nobu could cover for us, it'll be so much fun," I think I made James nervous. 

"I don't know. Loud music and lots of people, not my idea of fun," He said. He yawned. "I'm still tiered. "I think it would be good if we went if Tachibana is coming," 

"Oh, yeah, you're right," I said a little dejected. But if you think about it, you just can subject someone to that kind of life after he'd been living like a mouse for so long. 

"Look, the sun is setting," I looked outside at the sun. The light from the sun was so pretty against the snow. 

"Well, I tonight is going to be kind of formal, I guess we couldn't have gone anyway," 

"What do you mean by 'formal'?" James asked me getting up from his spot on the floor. He plucked a down feather from his hair, looked at it and let it drop to the floor. 

"Oh, we're all dressing in traditional wear for dinner. Bit annoying, but my step-dad has some important official coming over for dinner," 

"Oh," 

"You should ask Nobu for for something to wear, he'll be downstairs," I said to him. 

** 

I dressed in the kimono I bought with Aya and pulled my hair into a bun tied with a black ribbon. I put on light make-up in front of my vanity and looked myself over. I did a so-so job tying my obi, I was impressed with myself. 

I took a breath. I placed my hands over my kimono to get rid of the creases and with one fleeting glance at the mirror, I left opened my door to see the James had opened his at the very moment I had. We smiled at each other. 

"You look cute," James said, not able to really think of anything else to say to a girl that would much rather be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. 

"Thanks," I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "So do you," After I said this, I giggled. "You know what I mean, right?" I asked giggling uncontrollable. 

"Yes, Pumpkin," He took my hand (I had grown accustomed to this by now) and we walked slowly down the hall. I was really dreading seeing my step-father. He was just so..._mean. _But can you blame him really? His daughter is a bitch and his second wife prances around like an empress. That's got to drive any man insane, wouldn't you think so?

"I'm praying my mom won't be home, you know she loves to surprise people." I commented, my fingers crossed behind my back. 

"Well, it would help to know whether she was here or not by opening your eyes," We stopped and her unhooked his hand from mine and placed each hand on each side of my face and opened my eyelids. 

"I guess so," I mumbled looking at him. I had so much self control that night, it scares me. I don't think I've ever disobeyed an instinct so strong ever before and ever will. But I didn't say my heart wasn't beating about a million miles a second. 

And then we continued walking. That one second I felt it. Something that I didn't know what, but know now. 

**

"Sit on your knees," I advised James as we entered the dinning room. There was a table about up to a persons' knees while standing up with cushions all around. I couldn't tell if mom would be joining us since I didn't know how many business people my step-father was having over. 

Minutes after we sat down, a noisy bunch came in jabbering about who knows what. Among the group of men was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a mustache. This was my step-father. 

"Ah, Yuri-san, nice to see you!" He said warmly. I smiled. Okay, his intentions were good and all, but this isn't medieval times, you don't arrange for people to get married. That only happens on Reality Television. 

"Nice to see you, too," My step-fathers' English is very good since he does business with a lot of people who speak English, and lets face it, Japanese isn't exactly the language of business. "Who is this?" He asked looking over James. James felt nervous. 

"Ah, this is James Potter, my _boyfriend,_" I put the cheesiest grin I could must then and pulled onto James arm. In response, he put his arm around me. 

"Oh," He scuffed as he sat down and left us alone. 

When dinner was served, James looked suspiciously at it and pocked at it with one of his chopsticks. I noticed this and grabbed one of his arms and whispered: "I promise it won't bite even though it's uncooked," I laughed at my own joke. "Besides, it's just white rice, carrots and seaweed. Just try it," I took both my chopsticks and took a bite of my vegetarian sushi. I wasn't one for uncooked fish. 

I watched James take a bite and chew it and finally swallow the little tire-looking thing. I smiled. 

**  
I stayed in my kimono longer than I wished. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, I mean I like showing James how pretty I was in it. Over that holiday, my self esteem got much better and I'm a better person for it. 

"Do you want to go outside and see the garden?" The sun had now set and the stars were shining over head. My mother had thankfully not shown up with Hitomi during the meal so we were kind of free to do what we wished since my step-father didn't care about anything but work. 

"Sure," He left his plate of picked at food and followed me. We didn't draw much attention from the group of me talking about whatever men talk about. I opened the backdoor and slid on my shoes that I left by the backdoor. James did the same and followed me on the path that winded into the garden. 

We stopped in the center and looked around at the crystallized plants. The moon hit everything so spectacular. I shivered underneath my kimono. James took note and placed his arms around me as we looked around. 

The trees were green underneath the sheet of ice that the could air brought. The snow covered the ground and reminded me of a snow globe that had yet to be shaken. The front door opened and shut from the inside and I heard footsteps... 

James looked out to who it was. I paid no attention to who was home, I was just trying hard to remember this moment forever. I could tell him now...I thought as I shivered against James' breath. 

He leaned in and his face was inches from me. My heart was in my throat the whole time, but James spoke instead. "It looks like Hitomi is home with your mother," I had closed my eyes momentarily wishing maybe James would take my lips in a kiss, but after he spoke, my eyelids fluttered open to look beyond his body to see three figures. 

I sighed dejectedly. "He's here." I said turning my body to face my house. "Well, this is going to be the big test, don't hold back," 

** 

Why had James been so willing to do just about anything I said? I don't know, still don't really. I don't understand people in love (including myself). It does crazy things to the mind. If it's happened to you, you know what I mean. I've done things I'd never done since I fell in love. 

When we returned, Tachibana was with my mother, with his plastic smile wrapped around his face. James held me close, just as if we were a real couple. "Ah, Lily, how nice to see you, Saiai," I was disgusted by this. He took my hand and kissed it. I was even more repulsed by the fact that he pressed his tongue to it. I pulled my hand away from him and whipped it on the back of my kimono. 

"Always a surprise to see you," I said with not a lot of enthusiasm in my voice. "This is James, my boyfriend," I said with emphasis on boyfriend. I hope that he got the hint because I didn't want to deal with the slime ball. It was bad enough he was 19. It would be, like, illegal if he tried anything (don't make me say it), I think. 

"Oh, hello," I could just tell that he despised James already. "Nice to meet you," Tachibana looked him up and down. 

"You to," They shock hands and I could tell something was up, something tacit. I just didn't know what. 

"Tachibana and you have lots of catching up to do, ne?" Hitomi said yanking me by the shoulders. Oh joyous day. 

** 

I came into James' room around half past three early that morning. I was subjected to hearing Tachibana's escapades at Tokyo U. I got fed up and put him to sleep with a simple spell. I know, no magic, but how can the Ministry get to me? I mean, they'd have total sympathy for me. I'd like to see Fudge in my position. 

"Argh! I can't believe how _boring _someone's life can be!" I said yawning. James had one light on with a book open. He was clad in warm flannel pajamas. Somehow I wished that it was warm and he was only wearing boxers, but hey, that's just how I am. 

I sat on the edge of his futon and crossed my legs Indian style. I had on flannel pajamas too since I was too cold last night. My feet were cold (when weren't they? I thought. But this was another problem entirely I found out later) so I had fuzzy slippers on. "I don't know. I was pretty boring until I met you," James said closing his book on a book mark and setting it aside. 

"Well, don't let anyone know that because it's always the silent ones," I put my index finger on my chin and smiled innocently enough. 

"Shut up, Lily," James shook his head in disgust. "You know, you're really different then what everyone says behind your back. They make you out as this snobby bitch. But I think I know the real Lily Tamura," This was the first time in a long while since anyone my age called me Lily. 

"There is no Lily Tamura, as soon as I turn 18, I'm going to change my name to Evans. That was my dad's last name. I'm never going to see this country again. Hopefully Lily Evans will be more liked by society, but so much is placed on looks alone-" 

"I think you're pretty," That was random. Really out of nowhere. But I blushed at it. I couldn't help it. "Scary sometimes, but still pretty," He said. James was just tiered. He needed sleep, I rationed. I left a few minutes later because I would have fallen asleep right then and there if I didn't get to my room. And I didn't want everyone thinking that we were _that _close. Although it would turn Tachibana off, but couldn't just do that. It wouldn't be fare to James. 

** 

I woke that morning to coffee. Coffee and pancakes. My eyes flung open and I dressed faster than I think I have in a while. 

I loved pancakes. So did James. 

** 

The rest of the day was pretty unsettling to me. I spent the whole day running away from Tachibana with James at my heals. 

"He's just so damn persistent!" I said to James when we said that we needed to talk in private for a moment. "He should just go find someone his own damn age," I said. "I'm sure there is plenty of girls who'd want to go out with him," 

"Yeah, but he's got his eyes set on you," James told me. "He won't stop until he's claimed his prize," 

"How do you know that?" I said leaning against the door of my room. "Is it some unspoken guy language?" 

"Something like that. It's just we all work the same for the most part," I looked away at the sun. It was mid day, time for lunch. The snow wad beginning to melt away into small puddles around my house. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked a little bitchier than I meant to be. James didn't seem to notice and continued. 

"We all want one thing, sad, yes, and he's not into you for you conversation skills," James raised an eyebrow as he said this. Ha ha, very funny James Potter. 

"Ugh, don't bring that up. That's just wrong. I bet he wouldn't want me if he knew about the _real _me," I said provocatively. 

"Maybe..." James thought. "he could walk in on us-" My brain tuned out for a while. Did James just say what I thought he did? I think so, "-but how to get him to catch us kissing?" Whaa!!! This wasn't happening! This was great, me kiss James Potter seriously! This like, wasn't happening! I felt like the people who win both showcases on The Price Is Right and Jump on Bob Barker as he tells you to get your pets spade or neutered. 

"Really...." I put my hand on my chin like I was thinking it over, but I was trying to stop myself from jumping out of my skin. 

"I guess it's going to have to wait until we think of a better plan," Oh, wait!! I've got it! It was farfetched, I have to say, but us sleeping in the same futon. Come one, it's perfect. Only problem is on getting the words out of my mouth. That would be difficult. 

**

Difficult it would be. I had no idea how to bring it up. It was going to be harder than telling him my feelings. We returned to being with Tachibana to my dismay. 

**

That week must have been the longest in my life. Tachibana had to leave the day before Christmas Eve, thank goodness. It left me and James to shop for Christmas presents for each other. I had a notebook out writing down possibilities, but none. I chewed on my pen that had a cute figure of a black cat with a crescent moon on its forehead. 

What about a book? Not good, don't know what he's into. Nobu was driving us to a shopping district and looked at me. "Are you okay?" He asked me looking in his rear view mirror. 

"Un? Oh, yes," I said taking the pencil out of my mouth. James was sitting next to me looking out the window, probably thinking the same thing as me. Maybe I could ask him. I thought better of it. It seemed kind of stupid.

**

"I'll meet you here in two hours?" I said looking down at my watch. James looked at his and nodded. 

"Alright," He waved goodbye to me. He turned around and went to other way. 

No for the difficult part, finding something that would look like I put a lot of thought into it. I passed a shop with books. I went inside and looked around. He wouldn't be able to read a single word, so I left. 

I looked down at the sidewalk, placing one foot perfectly in front of the other. I laughed at this. It was just so stupid. It had no point and never will seem to serve purpose. Kind of like my feelings for James. They'll never be shared with anyone, not even Aya. They'll sit within me and whither away. See how stupid I was? I was young, I guess that was my excuse. Young and stupid and not knowing any better.

I walked by a store that had all kinds of watches. I looked at the store and all it's clocks. They ticked away, some with Roman Numerals, some with no numbers and ones with animals where numbers should be. I thought it was cute, the ones with animals in place of numbers. 

But why would James want a big clock? I sighed in defeat. 

**

I did find the perfect present, eventually. It kind of came to me and would take a lot of guts on my part. I had heard of it through a girl named Naomi when I was in grade school. She told me about it and I had stored it in the back of my mind for prior knowledge. When I passed by a craft store and saw it in the window, I went crazy. It would take a lot of work, but I was up to it because I didn't want my feelings to serve no purpose, like the way I was walking before. 

I purchased what I needed and left, giggling like crazy. I couldn't believe what I was doing, I had no head on my shoulders. It was just a balloon filled with helium painted with my expression. I had to calm myself down, James might think I'm a head case or something bad. 

I noticed him slouching in the place where I had last seen him with a pink bad tapped shut (I wish bags in England were like the way Japanese did it. It was just so...._kawaii._

"I guess I'll call Nobu to come and pick us up," I reached into the pocket of my sweatshirt and pulled out my cell phone. 

"What's that?" James asked pointing at my phone. Brain freeze. 

"Huh...? Oh, yeah, you wouldn't know. It's a cell phone. You know what a telephone is, right?" James shook his head. "It's like that only portable." I explained. I thought my phone was adorable. The same character that was on my pencil hung from my phone. They were very popular in Japan back then. 

**

We sat on a bench and waited for Nobu to come back in his mafia car. He came back and we jumped in. "Did you find everything okay?" He asked us. I nodded happily. I was just brimming with happy. It was disturbing, but nice. The smile on my face seemed to get bigger and bigger. 

"Are you okay?" James raised his eyebrow at me suspiciously. I snapped my head to look at him. Stupid hormones. 

"Ah, yes, of course!" I said sheepishly. James shook his head and looked out the window again. My voice was squeaky, like a mouse. I was imitating a mouse now. Oh well, at lease my life will be complete. 

** 

_"A woman never runs away  
A woman never hides away  
In order to survive  
You should not want to be healed  
Without fighting  
  
A woman never shows her fears  
A woman never shows her tears  
In order to survive  
You should not easily  
Show your tears to someone"_

I had my CD player on humming along to the happy tune. I really learned a lot from this song. It made me think about my emotions and who to give them to. "Ouch!" I yelled after I accidentally (oh yeah, like I'd do it purposely...) stuck myself with a needle. "Damn it!" I yelled before I shoved my finger in my mouth to stop it from bleeding. 

I picked myself off the floor and went down to the kitchen. I ran into James there. He had been in room wrapping his present for me. "Hey," I smiled at him. What I thought was strange was that he had band-aids on four of his left fingers. "Nobu, do you have a band-aid I could have?" I asked. He looked at me and re-opened the first-aid kit and put a band-aid on my bleeding cut. 

"What're you two doing up there? Playing with needles?" He asked after he shut the case and replaced it. 

"I guess so!" I said scratching the back of my head. 

James accompanied me upstairs and we stopped at our doors. "So, what _are _you doing in there/ I hear a lot of 'Damn its' and 'Peice of crap!'." 

"Oh, it's just being stubborn," I said leaning on my door, my hand playing with the knob. "See you later," I opened it and slid back into my room. 

** 

Rumor upstairs was that Tachibana would be back Christmas Eve to spend more 'time' with me. I made up my mind and I was going to tell him to go fuck himself. Not exactly lady like, but I didn't need to tell you that. He just creeps me out too much. But if I tell him this, I won't have to use my other plan, remember? The one about Tachibana walking in on us. 

I finished my present and wrapped it up with red and green wrapping paper. I set it in the corner of my room and I smiled at it's odd shape. I didn't have a box to put it in, so thus, it looked like a blob of peculiar angles. 

I knocked on James' door and waited to hear his voice. Instead, he opened the door and greeted me. He closed the door behind him and smiled. "Hello, what's up?" He asked me. 

"Nothing really. I finished wrapping. Damn, I don't think I'll ever get the hang of it," I looked at my hands. They had paper cuts all over them along with a few cuts from scissors. 

"I know, me too," James showed me his bandaged hands and I laughed at our mess. 

"I don't think I was meant to gift wrap," I shook my head. "Do you want to go and get ice cream with me?" I brought up. 

"Ice cream? Just look outside, it's freezing outside," He said like I was being irrational. 

"Fine...how about coffee?" 

"Don't drink coffee," He told me. 

"Neither do I...hot chocolate?" I suggested. James shrugged. "Be out in a minute," I went back into my room and pulled on a pair of white stockings under my plaid skirt. I opened my closet and got out my big black puffy coat with the fuzzy hood and pulled it on over my sweatshirt. 

"Ready?" I asked. 

"Yup," He took my hand and we walked down to the front door. I slipped on my knee-high combat boots before we left. "You look like one of those crazy people you see in the Daily Prophet. The ones with the really funky hair protesting a new law." He put his shoes on. 

"Really....? Be back later!" I yelled as we left. 

**

Prior to our last journey, the little coffee house (that served hot chocolate to die for!) wasn't far. "I think winter is growing on me," I said as we made our way though the slush of melting snow.

"It is pretty," 

"Japan normally doesn't get this much snow...Oh! You should be here in the summer! One time I thought my face was going to melt off it was that hot!" I giggled remembering a day that had come to past. 

"Really?" James smiled. "I can just imagine you with no face. There wouldn't be as much character as there is now," James was just so sweet. I was surprised that no one had scooped him up before. Any girl would kill for someone this sensitive. 

"Are you sure? I didn't know that," I stuck my hands deeper in my pockets thinking about this. I smiled inwardly. I couldn't wait to give James his present. I hoped that he'll like it and understand it. Not a lot of people do. 

**

I sipped the contents of the cup as I listened to the people around the table we sat at. "Isn't it good?" I asked. James pointed to his nose. "What?" 

"You've got some on your nose," His hand reached out and dapped my nose with a napkin. He showed it to me. I blushed a little in embarrassment. 

"Oh, thanks," I said, my blush disappearing from my cheeks. Why couldn't life be this simple? It's totally like what John Lennon said, 'All you need is love.' But maybe the person loving you in return. That would be just awesome. But at that point, I would have had to get back to you on that. 

**

I woke up the next day feeling as if something was going to happen I really didn't want to happen. "Ahh!" I pushed my pillow into my face remembering Tachibana and the present I got for James. Would I have cold feet with it? I was having second thoughts. It wasn't such as good of an idea like it seemed yesterday, but I had to go through with it. If I didn't then I got all those cuts for nothing. 

I dressed in a festive outfit of bright red pants with a thick black belt and green long sleeved top. I slipped into my slippers too because me feet were so cold, they were killing me! 

I slipped into James' room to watch him sleep. I hunched over his bed and looked at his sleeping frame. He was like a sleeping baby. His mouth was open a little to let air in. His cheeks were so rosy and his lips had the gentlest smile. 

I sat cross legged, my head in my hands (my elbows rested on my knees) and watched the new love of my life sleep. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but in it's own way to me, it was romantic. 

His eyes began to move. "Good morning James," I said looking over him. His eyes went wide with surprise to see me leaning over him. A grin came to play on both of our faces. 

"Hey Pumpkin," James sat up and stretched. 

"Nice morning. We should start to get snow around six at night." Could you ask for a more perfect Christmas? Not me! 

**

"That would be wonderful, Tachibana!" I heard my mother. I hadn't told James what I planned to say to him. He'd probably say it was a bad idea. 

"Yuck, slime ball ahead...I ought to hex him," I said under my breath for just James to hear. 

"Yeah, you should," James smiled smugly and put his hands into his pockets. 

"Ah, Lily, your mother was telling me how much you'd love to go out for breakfast with me," Ahhh! She said what? I couldn't believe what a mother I had. 

"Re-really? You don't say," I pulled James close to me and slipped my hand into his back pocket for him to get the idea. I wasn't really thinking. I didn't want to be alone with Tachibana for a second. 

James (with some hesitation) put his hand in my back pocket. Too bad this was just pretend. I thought we would be so good together. 

"Yes, lets go now," He put his hand onto my hand and clapped it around in a firm hold. Holy shit. 

**

And so we went to breakfast leaving James all by himself. I looked at him when leaving with such a sad expression, I could see that he felt bad for having to go with Tachibana. 

Tachibana had his own car and liked to drive it, didn't have a driver. He let me go on the left side and I got in. He went around to the right side and got in and started the engine. The worst was yet to come. 

**

We drove for a long time, or at least it seemed that way. We just kept on going, to places I'd never seen before. I didn't want to talk to him for fear we might start a conversation. I crossed my arms and leaned onto the window with my legs crossed facing the window. I looked like I was mad, and boy did I feel it. 

We stopped when we got to a house-like structure and he got out without saying a word. I got out by myself knowing he wouldn't open the door for me. I looked at my watch. We had been driving for close to an hour or so. I sighed and put all my weight on my right foot and crossed my arms with my bad-ass attitude. 

"C'mon," He grabbed me by the arm so hard, it made me whimper. "I have a story for you," He said as we entered the house. The house would have been pretty with a new coat of paint. It was nestled on the side of the road. It was a one story place with a decent sized front yard. 

"Make it quick, I don't want to hear your voice," I sneered back at him. Then we were inside. 

"By your age a hundred years ago or so-" He stopped as he squeezed my hand and lead me to the back of the house. I started trembling then, knowing where this would leave us, and on Christmas Eve no less...."-an apprentice geisha would have a mizuage," My heart sunk dreadfully low into the ground. I wished James was hear, he would have known what to do. 

"Please, no..." I whispered as he opened a door to a room with a bed. Tears fell over my pink cheeks. My mom would never believe me if I told her what happened in that room. I doubted that she knew his real intentions, if she did I think she still would have let me go. 

**

I thought my eyes would be permanently red from all the tears I shed. Either that or I'd have used up all the tears I could get for a month. I felt so...I can't even find the words to properly describe it. It was so odd. Unlike any other feeling....besides the love I had for James that might not be returned by him. 

I put that thought aside as we were driving back. My head rested on window making a mark where it had been. My eyes stopped crying now, they were just so besides themselves, they couldn't cry any longer. 

The worst part about it was that I didn't even get to tell Tachibana to fuck himself. 

**

I opened the door to my room slowly with droopy eyelids. I was just so exhausted. I didn't feel like putting my heart on the line to James, not after today. 

I heard his door open and then heard a knock on mine. I jumped, not knowing what to do. I wrapped myself in a quilt and then opened the door. Immediately he saw through me. "Oh Lily, what's wrong?" He said putting both his hands on my shoulders and looked at me. 

I did not say to him what I wanted. I didn't say a thing for that matter. Just a few tears came down my face and spilled onto my face. But then they started spilling onto James' shirt because he hugged me and I hugged him. 

He held me there, in my doorway and rocked us back and forth, rubbing my shoulders along with our motion. "It's okay Lily," He knew what must have happened. The way his voice sounded, full of dread and understanding. The grip he had on me then, it was so protective. I stood there for I don't know how long crying. The worst was over and it was going to go uphill from here. 

** 

James sat me down on my bed sometime later, it must have been late afternoon by the looks of outside. He sat across from me and whipped the tears from my eyes with his hands and pushed hair from my face behind my ear. His eyes were lower than normal. 

He left me alone, but said at the doorway: "Pumpkin, you should just get some rest now, I think Tachibana and I will have a little chat," 

** 

I woke up I guessed an hour later. The sun had now set and a light snow had come to fall onto the ground. In the doorway I noticed James sitting, reading a book. His legs were outstretched and crossed at the ankles. 

I pulled myself up to look at him. "Where's everyone, what happened?" I asked confused at the situation and why I was in bed. I didn't remember falling asleep at all. 

"You needed a nap," Then I remembered as the memories came back. He was so calm the way he said it. "Everyone went out to eat. I told them you weren't feeling good," He closed the book. He was almost done. 

"Oh," I felt my forehead. My head was pounding harder than my heart beat when James was near. "So you figured it out then....?" My eyes were red, I could feel it, the tears coming again. 

"Well, I can assume, that's all," He turned to me. 

"You know about assuming? It makes an ass of u and me," I smiled at my joke. 

"That's the Lily I know," He called me Lily again. I liked that somehow since it was special between me and him since not a lot of my friends did. "If you want to tell me..." 

** 

It poured from my mouth like water fell over Niagara Falls. Every detail from that morning. He nodded a lot. "-and then we left," I finished after the graphic description. 

"I'm so sorry Pumpkin," He hugged me again. I nestled my head on his shoulder and sighed. 

'There wasn't anything you could do," I told him to make him feel less responsible. 

"I know. But I wish there was something I could have done." He let me go and left for a second, coming back with a wrapped present. By the looks of it, he had used the whole roll of paper and a roll or two of scotch tape. I smiled at his lame attempt at wrapping. 

"What's that?" I asked playing dumb. 

"I have something else to give you tomorrow, I think this will make you feel better." He handed it to me to open. "I asked around, and found out about this," 

"Wait," I got up and got my present. "I want to give this to you. I don't want to give this to you in front of you," I handed the present to him, kind of embarrassed. I would explain it to him after he opened it. 

I tore through the paper and my mouth dropped at what I saw. Sitting there was a teddy bear. It looked like James had made it. My heart went out. It was the same thing I had gotten him. "James..." joy struck my heart. He had made it himself. 

"Lily, oh my God," Was what he said when he looked at the teddy bear that I made for him. I had dressed it in clothes that looked liked mine. I looked closely at the bear situated in front of me. It had little glasses made out of wire that looked just like James' and the bear dressed like James did. 

"I was hoping that you might name it Lily," I said sheepishly. "Maybe you already know, but if two people give bears that they made and the person names the bear after the other, they'll be together forever," 

"I know, when asked around, they told me that story," There was some confusion. "And I want to name her Lily," 

"And he's going to be James," 

James hesitated, leaving room for me to say no. But I didn't because this is what I wanted, even with the events of earlier in my life. 

His lips were soft, just as I imagined. And gentle. It was a caring kiss, the one that you give someone who you care deeply about. I just couldn't believe it. Everything was falling into place. And one of the gaps in my life was being filled. But the other gap would be filled with the help of my new boyfriend. 

** 

This is part one. Yay! Almost a month to write. Expect another month until the next part. Sorry!!  
DISCLAIMER:   
Harry Potter belongs to J.K.R.   
Song: Rainbow. Written by Ayumi Hamasaki 


	3. Part 1C

Futurity

MomoYome  
A/N: Sorry People!! This is the last part for Part I. I had included it in Part II, but I think it fits better here. I didn't want to put it at the end of it last time because it would kind of spoil the moment. 

I laughed harder and harder as James and I walked the crowded streets of Kyoto. James had said that he hadn't been more confused than when Prince turned himself into a symbol. It sounded like something I would say, not James. His hands were shoved into his pockets smiling looking at the windows of stores. 

"I still don't see what was so funny about it..." James sighed as he shook his head from side to side. I held my stomach and caught my breath. 

"Just the way you said it. If you're not careful, I'll rub off on you," We linked our arms then since I had control again. 

"James," 

"Yes," 

"Can I see your wallet," We stopped and he nodded and handed it to me. I took it and opened it to the pictures. I went to the last one, this time without James ripping it from my hands. 

There was a girl's picture in the last spot. One with dark red hair. Her hair was long and wavy, flowing in small trendils onto her face. She smiled and laughed happily. This girl was so familar to me. It was because I knew her a long time ago. She was the twelve year old me. "Now you understand why I didn't show it to you before. I thought that you would find me weird if you knew I had your picture in my wallet, especially one this old," He took his wallet back. I smiled. I couldn't help it. It seemed that was the only thing I did recently and I had loads to make up because I was an unhappy person.

"Really?" I thought about it. If I had seen the picture earlier, I think my life would have been easier. 

"What did you and Nobu say in the car?" It seemed as if the secrets were comming to an end and it was the last thing he didn't know. 

"Oh, that..." I giggled like I did when I was twelve and blushed. "Nobu had asked me if you were the one I loved and I said possibly... but then I realized it was yes," 

"Relly? I don't think I would have thought that in about a million years," 

"Wha? You thought I was one to never settle down, huh?" I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. "Thought I'd be wild to the day I died!" 

"No, I always thought that you'd never go for someone who was, well, like me." James shrugged hopelessly."I thought you liked guys that wouldn't want to make a commitment...Sorry?" 

"You're forgiven," I patted him on the back. "You know what?" I thought. 

"What?" 

"If we weren't so damned afraid about what the each other thought, I think our hands wouldn't of had to go through the pain of sewing," I showed him my bandaged hands. James looked at his own hands covered with needlepoint marks. "The things I'd do for love..." 

"Right you are Lily," James put his arm over my shoulder in a gesture saying 'she's mine', which made me feel somewhat special in someone's eyes. Because I was. 

"I love you James Potter," We came to a stop in front of a fountain in a park that was frozen over due to the cold wheather. 

"I love you too, Lily Tamura," My name just flowed off of his tongue, so smooth, like it was mean to be. Even though I hated that name, he made it seem as if it fit me. Like maybe I was a true Tamura, not Evans. Could he be the one true one for me? I heard other girls talking all the time about how they've found 'The One', but could you really find him so early in life? Since he made me fell this way, could it happen? And so fast... 

Thoses thoughts were shoved aside when he took my hands and raised them between us. I breathed a little heavy causing my breath to be seen. He looked at our intertwined hands and then looked at me. 

"Lily, you've showed me so much passion. The way you speak, carry yourseld, don't you _ever_ change," And then we kissed. You can't really describe it, but if you had to, I'd say it felt like an ice cream cone in the middle of August in Kobe. It's so sweet against your tongue (speaking of tongues, I had felt James' for the first time), but it's melting at the same time. Sweet and melting. Yeah, that's it. 

"Don't worry James, I won't change, never ever," I said when we stopped. I pressed my forehead to his. It was so romantic having our eyes and lips so close to one anothers. 

"If you ever do change, I promise right here to always love you because you're always going to be Pumpkin to me,"

"And if you change, I'll love you too, because theses feelings will never stop, never will. It's like a waterfall. My feelings will keep pouring even if it's raining. They'll just mix with the other water...James...I know that it's only been like, a week, but I think you're the one...I'm scared," 

James moved his forehead and hugged me tight against his hard chest. "Why?" He whispered into my ear. 

"Falling in love, it's never happened to me before," This was the total truth. I hadn't felt love like this ever in my life. It was alien to me. I started crying onto James' jacket, squeezing him closer to me in comfort. 

I thought I was going to scare him off, but as it turns out, it is definitly hard to scare James Potter, and I guess it's a good thing because I do a lot of weird things. I'm greatful that he won't run away if I do any of them. TTFN! 

** 

END PART ONE... 

**

Correction: The song used in the past part was Real Me, not Rainbow. 

Teaser for Part two: _I wasn't special! How in holly hell could I be this...this...I don't know what! If I was so damned special, how come I'm at the bottom of the social chain, yet have all the girls wanting my boyfriend? And if I'm special, how come all of this has happened? Life just got a little worse (if that's even possible). _

How is Pumpkin so special? Read and find out!! Part Two out around June but only if I get 15 reviews! C'mon, I worked hard on this and I know it's good, so please!! A happy face'll do, just acknowledging you read it and I'm not doing this for 8 people!


	4. Part 2A

Futurity - Part Two: Celtic Dilemma 

MomoYome

A/N: One part (Laura, you'll know when you see it!) is taken from my own experience at a sleepover. It's there to lighten the mood. New songs used for this part!! Hikaru Utada - Simple and Clean (on TOSHIBA-Emi Group), and FLY HIGH - Ayumi Hamasaki (on AVEX, still)

A/N-Part 2 Notes: We will finally see Pumpkin's (Lily) background and what her purpose in life is. I did a lot of research on this part (like, loads of reading up on it!!), so if I don't get 20 reviews, no more, and trust me, you'll want more after you finish this part (Sorry people, no Asian stuff in this part, all British with Celtic/Druid influence)

**

The second we stepped back into the castle, people swamped James and me, don't ask me why, people are strange that way. Apparently James told Sirius about ''us' and then the grapevine took affect and everyone knew that Pumpkin (Lily) Tamura had settled down. 

"Pumpkin! Why James?!" People shouted. I was consumed with so many questions, I felt like I was someone famous or heck, part of the British royal family. 

"Go away!" I yelled to them pushing my way through the crowd with the help of Aya. 

"Gees, do you think people could get anymore pushier?" She asked looking back at all the people that were surrounding James asking his questions. I could see him trying to get out of the crowd. Sirius finally came and saved him by shoving people out of the way. 

**

"How do you like popularity?" I asked him as we walked alone together (Sirius and Aya went off together to do something). 

"I don't understand people not having a life...can't they find someone else to worship?" 

"I know! It's not as if we're not the first couple at Hogwarts! Look at Aya and Sirius!" I shook my head.

"I guess everyone has to have someone to look up to," He took my hand and laced his fingers through mine. "I look up to you," That was just so sweet. And so funny at the same time because he was looking down at me. 

"Really? Why?" 

"Well, you're really clever, and quick with words. You have nice comebacks and you can deal with things. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't be anything like you," 

And then he kissed me in the hallway in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. I heard her mumble something inaudible, but who cares what she thinks about us. She can grumble all she wants to, she can't say she's been in my position so she's in no position to complain. 

James touched my face. It was cold, chilling my warm cheek down to the bone. It was a simple gesture that told me he cared. I knew he cared a lot about me, but the little things that reminded me of his love for me, the slightly punk-ish half Japanese bad-turned-good girl. 

"James," I pulled my mouth away just a few centimeters to talk to him. He pressed his head to my forehead and prepared to listen. He knew by now if I broke a kiss it was to say something important. 

"Yes," 

"I'm really tiered, I think I want to go to bed-"

"Did I do something wrong?" 

"No, of course not, I've been really tiered recently. I think it's from staying up too late. You didn't do anything wrong, i promise," I let go of his hand and went through the portrait hole leaving him alone, his hand still reached out. 

When my head hit the pillow of my bed five minutes later, I was asleep. And I slept. I didn't dream all that much, I didn't even wake up when Aya returned (I knew she would be out late with Sirius and return very late as usual). 

Not a thought crossed my mind, it was blank of any thought or image that might have come to mind if I was normal. 

**

I awoke the next morning (or at least that's what I thought) to bright sunlight and open bed hangings even though I remember closing them. I shrugged it off and looked out the window. It was Thursday. Only three more day and then back to preparation for the stupid tests. 

"Pumpkin Tamura!" Aya was in the doorway. "I tried to get you up three hours ago! You wouldn't budge. It was just like you were dead!" 

"Must have been really tiered," I scratched the back of my head wondering what had brought on me wanting excess sleep. "Oh well!"

"Oh well...you're a strange one indeed," Aya lifted her eyebrow at me. "You're acting weird. James waited up for my return last night to ask why you went to bed so damn early. He was kind of worried about you," 

"I was just tiered, nothing more, nothing less," I patted her on the back and went into the bathroom for a shower, not caring that it was noon and it was lunch, I wasn't all that hungry. 

The shower felt so good. I came out refreshed and put on black jeans and a t-shirt with "And Everyday is the worst day of my life" written in blue on the chest. I saw it in a catalog once and thought it was funny. 

I slipped on a pair of Vans sneakers and was ready to go. 

When I went down to the common room, no one was around with the exception of James in the corner, yet again reading a book, but with another girl, his sister. I watched as he was talking with her, a book in his hand. Inwardly I wished for a sibling to talk to. I had Hitomi, but c'mon, she didn't count for squat. 

James looked particularly close. I mean, he wasn't ripping the hair out her scalp. They must have a good relationship, I concluded. 

** 

I watched them talking over a book for a good ten minutes, envying James for having a sibling that didn't think he was scum. I coughed lightly, no intentional, and they looked up. James' little sister looked at me with great interest. 

"Good Afternoon sleeping beauty," 

"She's the one?" I heard his sister whisper at him. James didn't hear it or ignored it. 

"Good afternoon yourself," I said right back. 

"Uh, Pumpkin, this is my little sister, Kathie, Kathie, this is Pumpkin," James introduced us and we shook hands. 

"So you're the girl James is always talking about for two y-" James stepped on her foot and glared at her and then stood up. 

"Ow! That hurt!" She pulled her foot up and rubbed it. "Idiot!" There's the sibling rivalry I knew would pop up eventually. 

I giggled as Kathie rubbed her foot with intense concentration. "Well, live with it then," James turned and looked at her. "I'll be right back," James went up the stairs to his dorm room. 

"He loves you a lot, you know that?" Kathie spoke moments later. 

"Huh?" 

"Yeah, he's been talking about you all school term. When I first saw you I thought he wouldn't have a chance in hell, but I guess I was wrong, and I'm glad." Kathie's smile was warm and lit up the room. 

"Me too," I nodded. 

** 

After Kathie and my little chat, James returned with a sweater on. "See you later Kath," He waved to his sister and we left her sitting in a comfy chair, a book in her lap. 

"I wish I had a sister," I said dreamily as we slowly walked the hall. "I have Hitomi and I'd willingly sell her to an okiya," An okiya is a sort of house where a young girl is sold off to. The girl will take lessons and help with chores and hopefully become a geisha and earn her okiya money to repay the debt she owes. 

"Too bad you can't, no one would want her, she doesn't work at all!" James said. I nodded in agreement. "Pumpkin, is there something wrong?" 

"No...."I dragged the no out. "Why?" 

"Just wondering. It's just you and sleep. You seem to do a lot of it," James said light heartedly. 

"Well, I was tiered. Flying half way across the world doesn't mean I'm immune from jet lag." 

** 

I thought all day about it. About how tiered I was becoming recently. I just couldn't get enough sleep. It was weird because I was never like this before. "Aya, is there something wrong with me?" I asked Aya that night as I was looking through the new issue of J-Witch. 

"Yes," Aya was busy painting her nails for her nightly romp with Sirius. 

"No, not mentally, I mean, physical." 

"Pumpkin, what is this about?" She turned around and looked at me as she fanned her nails. 

"James said that I was sleeping a lot and if I was okay, what do you think?" I crossed my legs waiting for an answer. 

"Well, I guess there are many reasons that brought it on. Jet lag could be one, another might me that you lost a lot of sleep..." 

"Aya Ueto!" I threw my pillow at her feet. "You know I wouldn't do that anymore, I'm different now!" I pouted on my bed. "And if it was, then how come _you _aren't sleeping all the time?" 

"That's different," She capped her nail polish and turned around, obviously blushing harder than I had. "You know, I think it would be nice for the old maid to get out of her dorm and come and have some fun," Aya winked at me. 

"What?" 

"Don't play stupid, Pumpkin," Aya said dropping some make-up items into her purse. "You're playing the old maid, you stay in too much, why don't you bring James and come with us," 

"No, I don't think so. James isn't the party type, he's the book type," 

"The old Pumpkin would never miss a chance to get totally smashed," Aya said casually. "I think James is having a good influence on you," 

"Yeah, and what if he is?" 

Chailuck came in then and interrupted us. "Pumpkin, James wants to see you. He told me to give this to you," She handed me a piece of paper folded many times over. "Are you going tonight Aya?" 

"You bet," She said looking over her reflection in the mirror, brushing stray hair out of her face. 

"Pumpkin, you're not going are you?" She said. I snapped. One day and I was loosing my rep. I _was _the Old Maid Aya said I was. 

"Yes, I am," I stood up tall and started going through my trunk, "I'm still the same person I was before," 

"Whatever," The two left. 

** 

"Is everything okay?" Chailuck asked from her bed where she was reading Witch Weekly. I had just come back from looking all over the grounds for James. 

"Yeah, um, do you know where James is?" 

"He should be in his dorm, why?" Aya winked at me. I flushed and put my hands in front of me. That was the one place I didn't want to look.

"No, get your mind out of the gutter!" I left and went to the boys dorm in search of James. I knocked on the door of 5th year boys and opened the door. "James...?" 

I pushed the door fully open and looked for the person that has been haunting all of my thoughts. "James?" I said again. I smiled seeing him on his bed, his nose in a book as usual. 

"Pumpkin!" He closed his book, not even bothering to put a bookmark in his place (and he hates loosing his place in books!) and gave me a huge hug. 

"J-James," 

"Yes," He looked down at me and my little girl form melted from his affectionate stare.

"If you don't let go, I think I'll have to go to the hospital wing,"  
  
"Oh!" And with that he let go of me, but let his hands linger on my shoulders. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you or anything?" 

"Calm down sweetie," I stood on my tip toes and patted him on the back. "I'm fine, it's just you would have suffocated me,"

And then he almost _did _suffocate me with a kiss that really took my breath away. It was so nice because I hadn't felt his lips in a few days and it was like...returning home after a long journey. I think now I compared a lot of our kisses to things that happen in real life or food. But I was young, and definitely stupid. 

**

"I'll be fine, go have some fun!" I said as Aya and Chailuck were at the dorm door. 

"Are you sure?" Aya asked, uncertain if she was doing the right thing. 

"Positive," And I closed the door. They were off to who knows where to do who knows what with who knows who. What a mouth full. "Finally!" I said jumping up and down. I was waiting for them to leave for ten minutes and they wouldn't. 

I always wanted to do this, and now I could. 

I opened the hangings on all the beds and went through my trunk looking for a book of CD's I brought with me. 

"Aha," I took one out and checked to make sure it was the one that I wanted and put in my CD player. I jumped onto my bed with my hair brush and jumped up and down 

_'You're giving me too many things  
Lately you're all I need  
You smiled at me and said,   
  
Don't get me wrong I love you  
But does that mean I have to meet your father?   
When we are older you'll understand  
what I meant when I said, 'No  
I don't think life is quite that simple'_

I started jumping harder and jumped to Aya's bed. 

_'When you walk away   
You don't hear me say please  
Oh baby, don't go  
Simple and clean is the way that you've making me fell tonight  
It's hard to let it go'_

I was never aloud to jump on beds when I was little and I always had that urge to do it, just like how little kids kick the backs of seats at movies. 

"Pumpkin?" James was in the doorway with the weirdest look on his face. "What're you doing?" I jumped off of Aya's bed and turned my CD player off. 

"James, I'm being fifteen years old!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Because I can, I can be fifteen and I'm taking advantage of it!" 

"Pumpkin, you're scaring me," He raised both of his eyebrows at my stupid behavior. "Are you sick or something?" He felt my forehead. "You don't have a fever..." 

"James, I said it," I took his wrists. "I'm being fifteen. How many times can you be fifteen? Not a lot. Who knows what tomorrow will be, so say Shine we are, and have it make sense!" 

" '_Shine we are_'?" James shook his head. "That's not grammatically correct, did you hit your head," He felt my head for any bumps, but no I hadn't hit my head, I don't know what I did to make me act this way. The only explanation was me wanting to be fifteen. As if I had to say it one more time. 

"So what, take a chance, like how you took a chance on me," 

"Time for you to go to bed..." He picked me up. "Did someone spike the Pumpkin Juice tonight?" He shook his head as he picked me up and dragged me to my bed where he laid me down. 

"No, don't think so...James," I pulled on his collar of his shirt. "Don't be so serious all the time, lighten up," What had come over me, I don't know but, damn, I must have been high on something. 

"What?" 

"Am I annoying?" 

"A little childish at some times, but that's what makes you so damn unique. 

I laced our fingers together as we giggled together. I was so lucky to have James to get me sober when I was a little knocked up...

**

"Remind me why I have perfect marks," I moaned to Aya as we went to the Great Hall for Breakfast. 

"Because you study," She said falling into a chair. "When's Easter Holidays?" 

"Aya, we just had Christmas Holidays," Sirius said coming up behind Aya and placing his hands onto her shoulders and rubbed them. 

"Hey Sirius," Aya yawned as the words came out of her small mouth making her giggle. We sure did a lot of that lately. 

"Hey James," I mumbled as he sat across from me. 

"Hello," He yawned. The both of us stayed up really late last night having an exhausting pillow fight. I had loads of fun beating the crap out of him. James was just so helpless when it came to pillow fights. 

"I'm so tiered," I yawned. I put some pancakes on my plate, and then reached for the syrup. I piled it onto my pancakes like it wasn't anything. I like syrup, what can I say!

James just looked at me, a confused look on his face. I hope he didn't think something was wrong because there was definitely nothing wrong with me. 

**

"I think teachers enjoy thoroughly dowsing us with homework and find it amusing watching us squirm as we struggle to complete assignments." 

"I second that," I said flipping through a book. "I think this is one of my downfalls: being a perfectionist." 

"Pumpkin, you don't look very good," James told me. I thought it was extremely random. His face was very stern in appearance. I had never seen him like this before. 

"I'm fine," Not. I knew I looked like hell in converse sneakers. My sneakers even looked like hell with orange and red flames and painted on one day when I had nothing better to do. 

"No your not," And he left. He picked up his stuff off of the table in the common room and just left. 

"James..." I whispered as he shut his door to his dorm room. 

**

I was lost. I didn't know what to do or think. After such bliss, it all fell apart around me. It crumbled and I fell apart and cried. I set my head in my hands and cried openly in the common room as the fire in the fireplace slowly went out. 

"Pumpkin," Aya put her hand on my shoulder. I knew her touch, so soft and caring. "Are you okay," She kneeled in front of me with her hand still pressed to my shoulder.

"No," I shook my head and brushed away the shameful tears from my eyes. "All I wanted was to be happy, but I don't even deserve that," I answered. I felt that it was the truth, that someone was after me and didn't want me happy. 

"Pumpkin, it's just a fight, you can't just fall apart over one disagreement, it happens, it'll blow over tomorrow...They say that no one ever wins fights, couples just agree to disagree." She grinned as she patted my shoulder. "C'mon, all this studying is getting to you, come have some fun with all of us," 

"I don't want to go to a party or anything, I don't feel very good," 

"No, it's nothing like that. We all noticed how you were lately..." Aya and I had climbed the stairs and now were at the door to our dorm room. Aya opened the door and there was Kathie and Chailuck on one bed playing what looked like war. Chailuck looked to have most of the deck. "So we want to cheer you up," 

**

"So, who's your sexy bitch?" We were all on one bed, each of us with some cards in our hands and a deck in the center of us. 

"What!?" I laughed as I sucked on the lollipop in my mouth. I took it out so I could be heard more clearly. "She's got virgin ears!" I covered Kathie's ears with my hands after I set all of my cards face down on the bed. 

"Hey, I do have a brother," She said removing my hands from her ears. 

"You haven't answered my question, Pumpkin," Aya taunted. 

"I don't have one, I have James, and we're each others sexy bitches," I sighed. Who was I fooling, I wasn't sexy, or at least that was what I thought. 

"Ewww!! Mental image!" Kathie flayed her arms and squinted her eyes. "Yuck," She said after regaining composure. 

"What about you Chailuck?" I asked. Chailuck blushed deep crisom. 

"Well, I think...Remus, he's hot in that mysterious kind of way..." 

"Ahh! You've got a crush on him!" Aya giggled, hiding her face behind her cards. "What about you Kathie, anyone who you find hot enough to be your SB?"   
  
"SB?" I questioned. 

"Yeah, sexy bitch," Aya said casually. 

"No one, not yet. I have James and he won't let a guy come within ten feet of me with the motive to ask me out," Kathie sighed. 

"Then we have to find one for you!" Chailuck said. I noticed that our game of five card stud was now over. I left my cards to the side. 

We brainstormed and thought that some third year in our house would be for her. 

"SB's forever?" Aya asked. We all nodded. "No mention of this to anyone, our secret," We all nodded. 

**

I wondered around the next day until I found James. He was in a room all alone with a book. It didn't surprise me that he had a book with him. He thought that anything could be solved by reading. I couldn't make out the cover when I first opened the door and saw him sitting there on the window sill in the corner. 

He didn't notice me as I walked slowly over to him. I caught site of today's book: Slander. It's cover had a very pretty lady on it with golden blonde hair. Her name was Ann Coulter, I noticed on the bottom. She was reading a newspaper, she didn't look English. 

"Hello Lily," He said over the cover of the book. He was so cold. "Nice to see you," He said slightly warmer. 

"What're you reading?" I said knowing the answer. 

"Slander, Liberal Lies of the American Right," He said flatly. 

"What?" I asked totally confused. 

"It's about American Politics," He said as if I was stupid. I did nothing wrong. Nothing! I wasn't going to take this. 

"James, cut the crap, I didn't do a single damn thing and now you're all fucking pissed at me for who knows why!" 

"Lets see how many dirty words Pumpkin can use in a sentence," 

"Shut the hell up," 

James placed his bookmark in his book and stood up. 

"Pumpkin, listen to yourself talk," He said hovering over me. "You sound as if you've come from the ghetto when really you belong in Shibuya Shopping District (*Kind of like Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles)," 

"With all the preppy assholes, sure," I muttered under my breath. 

"You cut the crap, Lily," 

"I hate you," I crossed my arms and turned away from him. I admit it was kind of childish. I had thrown a hissy fit! At fifteen. I was fifteen going on seven! 

"Well I love you," He hugged me, even with my back to him. "And I'm sorry, I've been acting kind of like an ass lately." That was the answer I wanted. I had to be right and he had to be wrong. I always wanted my way. I eventually grew out of it, thank God! 

"I wuv you too," I said pecking him on the cheek. I know, so grammar school, but the opportunity was there so I took it. And then the peck on the cheek turned into a _whole _lot more... 

** 

"James, stop," I was now on the windowsill, James on top of me, his face pressed against my neck. "Did you hear that?" 

"What," He lifted his head from my neck and looked at me with his perfect eyes. I felt like that ice cream cone again. I could feel the stickiness of the soft material after it dribbled all over your hand and you don't have a napkin to get it off. 

"I think I heard someone," I pushed myself up and sat myself and straightened my clothes. "Lets go..." 

I took his hand and lead him out the door before. But before I closed the door I took a look around the room and then shut the ancient door. 

"What was that all about?" James said regaining his composer. "Ah, I forgot my book, I'll be right back," He mentioned. He let go of my hand and ran down the hall. 

"Okay!" I yelled at him. I leaned against the wall and noticed the pretty pattern on the wall. It was really pretty, it just went on and on....just like a pattern...no, it was a pattern, and a pretty one at that. 

** 

"Pumpkin, what else are you?" James asked as we walked back to the common room for a game of Wizards' chess. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, you're half Japanese, I know that, but what else are you?" I thought and then it hit me at what he meant by that. 

"Well, from what my mom has slipped when talking to me, I think my dad was British/Irish. I used to think he was all British, but it turns out he was half and half. Why do you ask?" 

"Well, Kathy and her big mouth mentioned how 'serious' things where between us and that you weren't British. They want me to marry some Brit that is just like them. Someone who is from a good family. Well, I know that your Great-Grandfather or something like that was a Baron, but they don't like people who aren't British." 

"Oh, so?" 

"They want to meet you," He winced. 

"What's bad about that," I didn't see a problem with any of this. I mean, he met mine, why shouldn't I meet his? It seemed only fair. 

"They're going to try and make you look like someone you're not. Trust me. My mum is going to put you in an evening dress and I know how hard it was for you in that really pretty kimono you wore that one time-" 

"Chill, take a deep breath! I love you, all you have to do is ask and I'll be there for you," I patted him on the back. "You don't need lamas class do you?" We laughed and continued our way back, our arm joined, our hands in each others' back pockets. 

** 

I lost at Wizards' chest once again. I was no shakes at it. James was just to damn smart anyway. Too smart for his damn good. Even if he he played easy, I couldn't win. I wasn't cut out for bored games, I was the physical, hockey-type girl so to speak. Just hockey is for girls that aren't fair and delicate and break easy...good thing I never perused hockey. 

"Pumpkin, you suck," I stuck my tongue out at him. Who was he to tell me I sucked? I was. 

:"Yeah, I think you're kind of right," I said cleaning off all my chess pieces. They were swearing obscenities at me for not 'following orders'. Since when did I 'Follow the rules' in this lifetime? Never, thank you very much. "Shut up," I yelled at the little figures once I had collected them into a little sack I carried them in. 

"I think you're so cute when you're mad," This made me blush uncontrollably. He thought I was cute. I thought at that moment, I still remember it clearly that stupid thought: It felt like I was some Atlantis Princess. Fictionally beautiful, yet in real life, there wasn't such a thing. Do you make the connection? It was kind of hard to put it directly into words, but think about. I did for the rest of the day. 

** 

"So, spill Lily Tamura, when are you and James going to get 'physical'?" Blush. Red. Pink. Loosing air so pink. How could she ask such a question?! It was like asking a chicken if he fertilized the egg, if a chicken could talk and that only happened in my dreams...don't even ask. 

"Aya, shut-up, it's not like anything before. I'm gonna take it slow. He's still a virgin. I mean, if we _did _and someone found out, it would ruin his reputation as being nice," I said hiding my face behind an old issue of 'Asian Witch Weekly' a subscribed to. 

"Honey, he's already ruined his good rep by being with you," Aya jumped on my bed. and pulled the magazine down so she could see my flushed complexion. 

"Yeah, but the teachers would _certainly _find out and there goes his good grades!" 

"Pumpkin," 

"Yes?" 

"Look at your grades over the past couple years. Everyone knew about your sex life, I'm sure even the teachers had a little clue about it and you still got perfect marks," 

"So?" I flipped my magazine up again so I didn't have to see her face. "True love waits," 

"I wish you had said that _before_ your prior life as Gryffindor's steamy Temptress!" Aya giggled at her own stupid comment. She had made me laugh, which was good because I really needed one after reading a really sad story in Asian Witch Weekly. 

** 

Tick. Tick. Tick. 

Damn clock. It should be damned to...to...wherever annoying clocks go after they met my foot. I looked at the doomed clock in the library and watched as the second hand made it's way around the clock clockwise. What do you expect? Counter-clockwise? 

I needed to finish this Transfiguration essay. No questions asked, it needed to get done. I had told James to leave me alone for the day so I could work on it. I felt kind of guilty about it since I had promised all of today, Sunday, that it would be me and him. 

His eyes looked so hurt. I couldn't concentrate, all I thought about how much he meant to me. How did I get by without a significant other? I wish that clock on the wall's second and minute hand would go the other way for a change. Change all the crap I did before I noticed James was alive in another way other than the other person who seemed to always share my knack for good grades. 

So this was love. I rested my head in the palms of my hands. This is what it felt like to be in love. It seemed as if there should be some other word for it. Like how many ways can you say that you've done it? Dozens it seems. I just don't understand how come the word love isn't like that. I thought that they were the same thing. Up until then. 

I think. 

As I said countless times before, I was stupid. I was an ass. But back (kind of) to the point of the moment. I hated the English language. There was only one ward for love. Oh well for the most widely used language on planet Earth. Maybe on my home planet there are more words for the word love. If I had a home planet. Too friggin bad. 

** 

"James, how can I say this, I want mo- no, to cliché," I was playing with the teddy bear James that the real James gave to me. I had each arm in my hands and I was fiddling with him. I was thinking of the perfect line to use. Aya's conversation with me had gotten me thinking about...things. 

It had been almost thirteen weeks since we got together. Next week was Easter Holiday and I was going with James to his home. I had mixed feelings about meeting the people who created the love of my (sometimes pointless) life. 

"James, when two people are in love-Ahh! Has every line been used before?" I asked the inanimate object I had grown accustomed to snuggling close with at night. "I wonder what Aya would do?" 

"She'd probably not use words, but actions," 

"Aya?" I didn't even know she was in here. Crap, I was busted. 

"Who'd you expect, the Tooth Fairy?" 

"I don't know. It seemed much easier when you're not in love and all you want is a nice piece of ass and nothing more...just a physical attraction," I said setting the teddy bear sweetly next to my bed. I smiled at the stuff animal. It sat there, smiling. So simple as if nothing could affect it. "Aya, what's it like loosing someone you love?" 

"What are you talking about?" She asked as if she didn't know good and well what I was talking about. 

"You know, when Ayumi died, what was it like?" Ayumi was Aya's sister, very close sister. 

"Wh-what brought that up?" She asked. I couldn't help it. I just wanted to know because it would be unbearable if James died or something of the like. 

"I'm just worried that I'm going to loose James, that's all, I want to know what to expect if it ever happens," 

"Well, when Ayu died, I didn't believe it. I didn't. I kept on thinking, 'She's still alive, she's going to turn up any minute now,' But she never did. After a week at the wake when I saw her there, with all the make-up smeared across her face, I accepted it, it was hard, I didn't say it was easy. I think it took me almost a year to go a day without crying. 

"But then one day when I was ten, I discovered cutting. I think that was when I really stopped crying...I shouldn't have done that. I regret it everyday, but you can't turn back the clock, you have to work with what you're dealt. And I'm dealt scared wrists, but along with someone who loves me. I work with it and my life has been a lot better, probably because of it," 

** 

Aya was right. You can't turn back time, but you can always work with what you've got. I've got about 100,000 yen to my name (around 10,000 US dollars), a vast shoe collection and a reputation on being one of the easiest girls at Hogwarts. But I've also got the support of the one who loves me. And with that, I think I can do anything. 

** 

_The step that is unable to be taken because of cowardice  
As time goes by  
Unconsciously it becomes a long road  
It feels like everything is too late  
Slowly, I realize that the place I am in now is not too bad either  
I found myself a few good excuses_

_To tell the truth, I never understood  
But I acted like I new everything_

_**_

"James, lets spend the rest of our lives together, I never want to leave your side," 

"Pumpkin, are you feeling alright?" James asked softly. My comment was so out of nowhere, it was just so incredibly...random. 

"I'm fine, I just don't want to loose you," I hugged him harder as we laid on my bed. In two days I was to meet his parents. I was so damn worried if they would like me. I come from a good family, and I'm good looking. Or at least that's what every man I've slept with has told me. 

"I'm right here, I won't get lost, I promise," He took my face with his free hand and held my chin. "Okay?" I nodded. 

"Okay," I loosened my grip on him and continued to rest my head on his shoulder. 

"I don't think I told you I love you, today," 

"No, you did, twice, once at Breakfast, and the other in the broom closet in-between Care of Magical Creatures and Potions," I giggled remembering the few minutes of passion we shared. James blushed. I think I blushed too, but it didn't matter to me because it really didn't matter to me. 

"Do you think they put those broom closets all over the place for that purpose?" He asked me. "Because it seems that every time we are in one, it's a different one," 

"Good question, but I don't think I want to ask Filch because I don't want him to find out about our broom-closet escapades!" 

There was silence as we laid quietly looking up at the ceiling. "I wonder what's going to happen when we grow up..." James asked. 

"I don't think I'm ever going to grow up, I want to be fifteen forever," 

"Pumpkin, you turn sixteen in July, you can't stop time," It seemed as if everyone had told me this lately, or told me I couldn't turn back time. 

"I'm going to stay fifteen here," I put my hand over his heart. I pushed myself up. "because the last few months have been incredible," I leaned over and kissed his lips affectionately. 

"I know what you mean. It seems as if more stuff has happened since December than in the almost sixteen years of my life," James sighed as he stroked my back. He pulled me down again and put both of his hands onto my face and this time he kissed me. 

** 

I looked at myself in the full length mirror and straightened my skirt. "James can you hand me that brush over there?" I asked him while pointing to the side of my bed. I started finger combing the knots out of my shoulder length hair. 

"Here you go," He said handing it to me looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror. "You're so beautiful," He said hugging me. I lifted my hands to touch his that were around my shoulders and smiled. This was what it was like to be content 

** 

I never really told you why the day I met James Potter changed my life. Well, he really started changing it in the coming week that was so bitter-sweet... 

** 

Review or else I'll leave you stranded here and you won't know why James is so important to the whole mix. PLEASE! I'M ON MY HANDS A KNEES HERE, REVIEW, PLEASE! IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND CONCEITED, BUT I KNOW THIS STORY IS GOOD, SO WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME? Five more reviews to next part.... 

Started: April 22, 2003 Finished: June 10, 2003 

P/S: This isn't AU, don't get me started about it because really, how much do we know about her? Two things (I think) - She has red hair and green eyes. 


	5. Part 2B

Futurity - Celtic Dilemma

MomoYome

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews. I'm sorry that I couldn't get this part out sooner, but I've been working really hard in figure skating trying to land the Lutz jump and I've had like, no time to write!!! This part will be longer that Part 1. 2C is a lemon, so just warning you before hand. I'll warn you again in the actual part!!!

A/N2: I'm terribly sorry for the many delays and me not getting chapters up sooner. I have many other obligations recently. Since I started writing Futurity, I've been in two figure skating competitions and have no time b/c of practice. I hope you enjoy~!

**

On the train ride to London I watched the scenery with new interest. I don't know why, but it seemed more interesting than watching Kathy and James play Wizard's Chess. I had completely given up on the game. I never came close to winning, or even a check.

"Check Mate!" Kathy said gleefully as one of her chess pieces smashed one of James' into tiny pieces. This was another reason I wasn't found of Wizard's Chess. 

"Wh-what?" James asked looking over the board. Kathy, who was opposite him sat back, crossed her arms and smiled. "I never loose," James shook his head and put one of his hands through his hair. This made him unbelievably sexy. 

"You win some and you loose some," Kathy said grinning and scooping up her chess pieces and putting them in a scarlet sac. 

"James, I think you'll survive," I said kissing him on the cheek. 

"I never loose..." He said horrified looking at his little sister with disbelief. "I'll be back," He said leaving me alone with a gloating Kathy. 

"You've been like a dream for James," She said placing her scarlet sac away. "It's so strange to see him like this. He's always been so quiet," 

"I know," I watched the pastures of grazing animals as we speed across the Scottish country side. "He's been a dream for me too," 

** 

James got over his lose to Kathy and was happy once more. 'This is taking _so _long," Kathy said getting up. "I'm going to look for the witch with the cart. She might have some Pumpkin Juice," She took a pouch with some coins and left. 

"She's finally gone!" James sighed as he scooted closer to me 

"Don't you like your sister?" I asked as He put his arm around me and kissing my cheek. 

"Yeah, but she gets annoying sometimes. She's like my shadow sometimes," James sighed again. I let my head fall onto his shoulder and pulled my legs up and wrapped my hands around my knees. 

"She's so nice though. I wish I had a sister..." 

"What about Hitomi?" He asked stocking my hair. 

"She doesn't count. Aya is more like a sister than Hitomi will ever be," I sighed hoping that I will never have to go back to see her. She always reminded me of an Asian Barbie with a nervous system. 

"Things are getting serious with her and Sirius. That's all he talks about. They have so much in common," 

"You hang out with Sirius Black?" I said suddenly confused. 

"Yeah, really close friends. We've been best friends since we could talk," It seemed to me James had just gotten super strange to me. I mean, if this was true, his best friend was the most popular guy in our year. 

"I'm also friends with Remus Lupin," My head spun around as I laughed. 

"Is there a child you need to tell me about?" I joked as I smiled. 

"What? I'm not aloud to be friends with the in-crowd?" 

"It's bad for my image," I said in a teasing manner. 

"I thought you didn't care what people think about you," His face was incredibly close now, his breath mixing with mine. I sat up to capture his lips, but the sliding of the door broke us apart slowly. I opened my eyes and sat up. It just seemed weird to kiss in front of Kathy. Maybe it was her age or something. 

** 

"Kathy, do you have a mirror I could possibly borrow?" I asked frantically as I smoothed out my skirt and combing my fingers through my straightened hair. 

"Chill Lily, I think you look beautiful as you are," She said as she now sat by the window watching the train slightly slow down as we entered King's Cross Station. 

"Err..." I mumbled at my last minute abutments. Never in my dreams had I imagined meeting his parents been this stressful. I could only imagine James when he saw them for the first time. 

I took two deep breaths as I grabbed my trunk and purse. "I don't get how you can pull that outfit with those shoes, though...." Kathy said shaking her head as the three of us exited the compartment. 

"You really are wise beyond your years, ne?" I said to the girl. 

** 

I closed my eyes as we stood onto the platform, James and Kathy craning their heads to find their parents. "Oi!" I heard James yell. "C'mon, they don't bite...hard," 

"Haha, I'm really laughing James," 

"How should I introduce you?" He whispered into my ear. "Tamura or Evans or Tamura-Evans?" I heard the slight anxiety in his voice as he stumbled over his words. 

"Ah...Tamura-Evans," I said. I don't know why. It just showed both sides I guess. It seemed over the past few weeks I didn't want to part with either of them. James shook his head. He squeezed my hand. 

In the distance beyond the crowds of people I saw to people. One looked just like James and the other like Kathy. They reminded me of two people who just didn't belong in the crowd of people wearing very laid back clothes. 

Mr. Potter wore a suit and a black tie while his wife on his right arm wore a blue dress that came up just above her knees and shoes that were the same hue as her dress. They looked to me very distinguished people. James cleared his throat as we walked together. 

"Mummy!" Kathy said flinging herself into her mothers arms. Mrs. Potter hugged her daughter. 

"I've missed you," She placed a finger on her nose and Kathy giggled looking like a little girl, not the one who reads so much and seemed more mature than I was at some points. 

"Me too!" Kathy said. Mrs. Potter's glance went away from her daughter and rested on me in a cool and collective way. She smiled warmly. It seemed to me that she was just an ordinary mother that just happened to be very dressed up. 

"Mum, Dad, this is Lily Tamura-Evans, Lily, these are my parents," James said to his parents, looking at them for their approval of me. 

"Tamura, what is that?" Mr. Potter asked as he looked me over just as his wife had done. Kathy now looked at me and winked. 

"It's Japanese, sir," I didn't know what to call him so I just said sir. Don't really know why. When I was around him, he made me feel like I had to be very proper and use words like sir that aren't normally in my vocabulary. 

"Nice to meet you Lily," Mrs. Potter outstretched her right hand for me to shake and I took it. Her finger nails were painted a pale pink, and were relatively short. I would have thought they should have been longer. 

"Nice to meet you," I tried to smile as warmly as I knew how knowing I shouldn't screw this up. 

I shook Mr. Potter's hand and he gave me a slight smile. 

"Well, we should go now," Mrs. Potter said getting us all to move out of King's Cross Station with our luggage in tow. 

** 

The Potter's owned a car, it was dark blue and had a massive engine. "My dad is obsessed with muggle cars, he has a whole garage full at home. He likes to tinker with the engines," James whispered to me as Kathy had loaded her trunk into the trunk. The trunk looked like it had been magiked to be big in a small area.   
  
I nodded as I put my trunk next to Kathy's and James followed. Kathy had gone to sit in the car and Mr. and Mrs. Potter were in the car waiting for us to load our gear in. I got a nasty thought and took both his hands and pushed my lips onto his in a bruising kiss. 

"I've been waiting to do that!" I said happily as I closed the trunk. We went on different sides of the car and opened the doors at the same time and closed them at the same time. 

Kathy sat between us and watched us as we stole looks at each other. I could tell she was laughing inwardly at our childish behavior. 

Kathy then reached to the floor of the car and pulled out a massive book with a cover that looked like it had seen better days. The cover was light yellow and had a picture of what looked like a bunch of geometric shapes with the sun in the middle. The top of the book read 'The Flammarion Book of Astronomy' 

"Where'd you get that?" James asked pointing to the worn out book. 

"Oh, I had asked Mum and Dad to bring it with them when I owled them a few days ago," She said opening it up and taking a look at the Table of Contents. 

"Oh," James said. I was astounded at Kathy as I watched her read the book. How could someone so young like to read so much? 

"You're scary sometimes," James shook his head as he spoke. "I'd give my eyes a rest after reading Pride and Prejudice," I laughed. 

"What's so funny?" 

"You can be extremely funny sometimes when you don't even try," 

** 

"We're almost there," James sighed. We had taken countless dirt roads as we finally pulled onto a paved street. It looked to me we were in the southern part of England. 

Kathy looked up from her fat book and looked around at the scenery. "It's about time, too," She mumbled placing a mark in her place. "I thought this car ride would _never _end." 

I thought so too as I looked down at my nails...that were still black. Oops. I quickly put my fingers in my mouth and began biting the polish off, something I didn't normally do. I didn't want his parents thinking I'm a Goth or someone who likes to do animal sacrifices and engrave the pentagram in my wrist. 

"Are you alright?" James asked looking at my strange behavior. 

"Yeah, but I forgot to take the black nail polish off," I said showing him my other hand which still had the black polish on each nail. 

"Calm down," He said soothingly, "My parent's aren't going to kill you if they find out about your black nail polish addiction," He whispered in a mock-ish kind of tone. 

"Are you two going to kiss or something?" Kathy asked looked at me, then at James with a look of grossed out spread on her face like jelly. 

"No," I said smiling. I saw Mr. Potter's friendly eyes in the rearview mirror. He looked like he was smiling. 

** 

The car rounded a corner when I saw the Potter house. It nearly took my breath away as I caught my first glimpse of it. It was settled on a plot of green land with rolling hills surrounding the eighteenth century castle. 

"Wow, it's so pretty," I said wondrously as I took in the beautiful house and landscape. Even the slight cloud cover couldn't dampen the beauty of the home. 

"It's nothing like your home in Kyoto," James said humbly. 

"That's not really my home. I lived there once, but no more," How wrong I found that statement was only intact for three more months. 

** 

The Potter's had I guess you would call them 'footmen' that helped Kathy, James and me with our trunks up the stone steps and into the home of the Potters. 

When I entered for the first time my breath was taken away once more with the elaborate decorations and paintings that hung on the walls. Their was a mysterious light that seemed to emanate from the walls making this entryway seem to glow with gold. The ceiling went up two stories high and ended in a bewitched ceiling much like the one at Hogwart, only exe the flying candles. 

"C'mon Lil!" Kathy said from a staircase to the left of the hall. She was half way up with someone carrying her stuff. James was standing next to her with someone with his stuff too. I smiled and walked up the stairs (with red carpet on top of the carpet). 

"You're parent's don't seem as bad as you guys made them out to be," I pointed out.   
  
"It's not that they're bad people, it's that they want everyone to be like them," Kathy sighed as we reached a door. "This is my room, yours is right there," She pointed kitty-corner from her room to a door with white trim. 

"Oh, okay," 

"You're welcome to come in my room after you put your stuff away," Kathy said before she closed her door. 

When I opened the door I saw in front of me a large window looking off into gardens of pink trees...Cherry Blossom trees. "I thought you might like that," I heard James say from behind. He was leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed nonchalantly. "I think you mentioned it a while back," 

"And you remembered?" I asked astonished at his memory. 

"I remember everything you say Lily," He said this as if it was already a given. 

"It's so nice to be with you," I hugged him tightly. "I love you," 

"Me too...me too..." He patted my back. 

** 

Mrs. Potter came in as James was helping me unpack. She had a coat hanger that held what I had presumed to be a dress. "James' father's boss is coming over for a formal dinner tonight," She said laying the dress on my bed and walking out. 

I was standing over the dresser putting my underwear away (I wouldn't let James do it, he asked though). I stopped and went over to the bed that was under the huge window and looked at the dress placed there. 

I picked up the hanger and looked at the dark read dress. It kind of reminded me of dark blood. It had was sleeveless and had a sweetheart neck to it. Along the top of it were little stones that went they caught the light they spread it to a million different colors. 

"Told you she was going to make you wear something you didn't want to," I picked the dress up and looked at it. I thought it looked uncomfortable to wear. "That's going to be tight," James said touching the fabric. I nodded with my eyebrows still raised. "Why don't you try it on?" He asked. 

"Where?" I asked walking around in circles, the dress blowing in the current I was now making. "I'm not changing in front of you!" I said smiling. "_You're a boy!_" I said sarcastically as he left me. 

I took off my clothes and struggled to fit into the dress. I gasped as I pulled it up to my chest. It was cutting off my circulation. I could feel my face turn shades of blue. I pulled it completely up and let a sigh of relief, I could somewhat breath. Thank goodness. It wouldn't be good for Mr. Potter's boss to see me strangled by a dress. 

I tucked in my bra straps thinking it would be extremely tacky if I left them on my shoulders. I them pulled on the zipper and got it up only half way. I struggled some more with the zipper until I gave up with a frown and let James in. "I can't get the zipper up all the way, can you help?" I asked sheepishly and turning around knowing that he wouldn't say no to me. 

I felt one of his hands rest on my waist. "I don't get it," He mumbled tugging at the zipper. "You're like a friggin toothpick and the zipper won't go up all the way," 

"No, I'm just fat..." I said filling my cheeks with air and turning my head to look at him. "That's why the zipper won't go up," I said to him, believing that I was fat. 

"You're not fat," He said pulling the zipper harder, but careful not to rip the zipper off the dress. It budged a tad. "See, I've made progress," 

A nasty thought crossed my mind and for theses few moments I wished that James was trying to get the zipper down, not up. It would be a lot easier than trying to get the damn dress on. 

The zipper went up slower and slower until James got it all the way up and smiled. "You look pretty, you just need to get rid of the black finger nails," He pointed to my thumb. I hadn't gotten all the paint off and had forgotten. 

"Forgot that one," I said bringing it up to my eyes to look at it. I frowned. "Am I fat?" I asked turning sideways and looking at myself. "Is my butt too big?" I asked suddenly self conches. 

"Your butt is just fine," James said smiling and giving it a look that made my cheeks raise a few shades. 

"I think tonight is going to be long, I'm going to ware slippers to dinner, you wouldn't notice would you?" I asked slipping my feet into a pair of pink slippers. The skirt covered them and I couldn't notice, but I awaited James' opinion. 

'Nope," He said shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

"Good," 

** 

I didn't bother to take the dress off, it was just too hard getting it on and I didn't feel like going though the zipper nightmare once more. I put the finishing touches on my make-up before I let James come in. 

It was the first time I had used the pearl pink Aya had given to me a couple of years ago and if you looked at me, you probably wouldn't notice the rebellious streak in me. "Hi," I said more bubbly than I intended. "How do I look?" 

"Fine!" James said. "I swear, girls live longer because they drive us to our graves with questions like that," James mumbled in an almost inaudible tone. 

"Well, are you ready?" I asked. James offered me his arm and I took it. 

"If Kathy tries to persuade you to do anything, don't," James mentioned to me. 

"Huh?" I asked stopping at the end of the hall. 

"She said she was going to play a joke on someone, probably me, if you would join her," James said. "At least she's not smart enough to know that I tell you almost everything," 

"Almost?" I asked evilly. 

"Well, I doubt that you'd want to know when I clip my toenails," 

"Good point," 

** 

Dinner was boring. What can I say? Listening to people talk about Magical Law Enforcement never floated my boat. Don't think it will in the future either. 

So James and I played footsie. I started it when I slipped my slipper off and placed my foot on his pant leg and started lifting it. James shifted uncomfortably in his chair so I stopped. James surprises me a lot, like when he slipped his foot out of his shoes and staring playing with my dress. I looked down and saw him lifting my dress. My he was frisky today. 

Kathy sat across from me and she did try to recruit me for the thing James had warned me about and I politely denied. "What time is it?" I asked James. 

"Err..." He pulled up his sleeve and showed me his watch. It blinked 10:15. I stuck my tongue out at it. I wanted to sleep. I was tiered. 

** 

These parts are getting shorter and shorter, ne? Well, the next part is a lemon, okay! You do not have to read it if you don't want to, you've been given plenty of warning. It should be finished tomorrow. 


	6. Part 2C

Futurity - Interlude

MomoYome

A/N: I decided not to write a full blown lemon scene because it just seemed weird, so you can think of this as a lime because I did leave in the foreplay and some other parts. They do go all the way though....

A/N2: In search of beta reader. Must be open-minded and like anime, Harry Potter, Princess Diaries and lemons. Has to be open minded (especially for beta-ing Futurity, you ain't seen nothing yet!!) e-mail me if interested. 

--

My lip trembled even more. I had never been so nervous in my whole life. It wasn't anything relatively hard, but to me, it seemed as if there was some wall or something blocking me from the question that probed my mind. 

I sat on the bed in the room James had shown to me the previous night. I sat in the center, my legs tucked up and my chin resting peacefully on my knees. I let a tear come down my face. I think I mentioned this before, but love was scary. It did things to my heart and mind that made me want to do back-hand springs and wear pink lip-stick (which I would never consider doing on any normal day). 

My hormones were completely out of control. I took my face from my knees and laid back, my head touching the pillow and looking up at the dimmed light the chandelier gave off. I took my hand to my face and pressed my index finger to the bottom of my eye. It didn't do any good, only more tears came through, causing me to sniff. 

"Pump-Lily?" James had come in, one hand on the side of the door and the other on the doorknob. He had seen me cry. He let go of the door and walked at a steady pace to me. He stood at the side of the bed I was closet to. He was already in his bed clothes, ready for bed. He took my hand and looked me in the eye with his protective gaze. 

"I'm fine," I'm such a liar. Bad one, too. I began to force myself to stop crying. I sat up more and he placed a hand on my back and sat down next to my legs. He had his fingers laced through mine by now. He looked at them and then looked at me. It was the most comforting thing anyone could have asked for now. 

"Liar," James muttered. "But maybe that's part of your charm?" He asked me. 

"I don't have any charm," I muttered under my breath. 

"Not to sound cheesy or anything, but...You've got me charmed," I laughed. "I know, I'm no shakes at jokes like you are," 

"It's just you need to be cruel and not have other people's feelings at heart. That's all," Talking with James became so easy, so effortless really. It was as if I could tell him what's on my mind. I always could. No matter what. 

"I love you Lily," He pulled me close to him, our hands not once loosing grip. He moved his hand to the upper part of my back as we embraced. His words made a small tear come into contact with my skin. Someone loved me. The shock really never went away, but the fact of the matter was that someone cared for me. 

"I love you too," I said muffled by me talking into his night shirt. I let go of his hand and threw my arms around his neck and squeezed him so tightly with strength I didn't seem to know that I had. His hand stayed in the place it had been, but moments later it went and joined his other hand on my upper back. 

I let go of him, my hands resting on his shoulders, his moved down to my torso. I slowly moved my lips to meet with his. I held back at first and then with some encouragement, we deepened the kiss. I fell backwards against the small stack of pillows, wanting everything I was getting. He pulled away, his hand underneath my back. "This doesn't seem right," 

"James, we need to talk," 

"What about?" He said slowly bringing himself up with me in his arms. 

"About, bloody hell, I'm being ridiculous, I can't even spit the words out of my own mouth!" I said, so scared and so frustrated that I couldn't tell James what had really been bugging me. 

"I don't bit, I promise," James said sarcastically. 

"Well," I sat straight up and brought my legs up so I could sit cross-legged. "This is so stupid, but for, well, I don't know, a couple of weeks..." I could have said it then. I could have said it two seconds before, or five seconds after, but I didn't have to. The anticipation was building up so much between us that words couldn't describe it. We could never ourselves understand it. I mean, after going to a completely foreign country with someone who barely took notice of you that you had the biggest crush on for like, forever and then you get together, it's weird. It's weird explaining your relationship. 

"Lily," He took my face that was now looking down at my knees. "I can tell something's wrong with you. I know that you won't tell me, I'm not quite sure why. But Lil, goodness, you do things to my mind that make me crazy. The crazy things you say, and especially the crazy things you do, they make me want to grab you and hug you and other things. Christmas this year was like a dream because things happened that only happen in dreams. But not normal dreams, the one's where you say two days later 'I wish that really happened,' To me, I'm still trapped in a dream, " 

This made me cry. Not just what he had told me, but all of my built up sadness poured out like Niagara Falls. Everything I never cried about or kept in. Tachibana and that distant memory came flooding back to me, reliving it all. "I love you James Potter," I said crying into his shoulder, squeezing him so tight. 

He held me there as I sobbed about things I had held in and he was patient with me. He was my friend. Our friendship was different than mine with Aya's. Somehow I held back a little with her, I didn't tell her everything. But I seemed to with James. It was so easy to let my mouth ramble and not worry about what he's going to think. 

"I love you too, Lily Tamura-Evans," He remembered. He remembered Evans. More tear fell down onto my cheek. It was of happiness. Don't know why, but I was happy . Perhaps it was the fact that I let out all my pent up anger, but maybe some unseen force said that they didn't want me to be unhappy any longer. Thank you unseen force. 

"I'm happy," I whispered into his ear, but shoulders drooping with satisfaction. He kissed me with no restraint. He didn't hold anything back, no feeling left behind. I did the same, letting it all flow as he laid me back down on the bed. He cradled me like a was a doll or something vary valuable that might get stolen. I couldn't get over that all of this was happening to me. In the past half a year or something like that, I had found James and now this was happening. 

He kept his hands pressed to my back, not moving them. I smiled into our kiss at this. This was something that made me giggle about James, the fact that he was always shy around things like this and how I was a little aggressive. "James, it's fine, you don't _have _to keep so stiff," I said softly into his ear, pulling away from him. I could feel his face grow warm. I knew it wouldn't last very long, his shyness would go away after I told him to knock it off. 

James got braver in his actions and moved his right hand to the front of my body. Only once had James placed his hands under my shirt, but they didn't stay very long because it seemed James had regained composure and pulled away. 

I placed my hands on the collar of his shirt, pulling him onto me with such force. A felt a surge of love towards the person on top of me. It was still hard to imagine that he felt the same way as me and this was actually happening. 

"James, what about your sister?" I asked, worried she might come in for reasons unknown. He pulled his hands away from me, got up and locked the door. An awkward moment of silence followed James locking the door. I had destroyed the moment. 

"Lil, I want to ask you something," He seemed a little distraught. 

"Go ahead," 

"I'm scared of this," He placed both his hands on either sides of my hips. "God Lily, your everything I ever wanted in life, just disguised under your rough skin," His right hand went up my arm to my shoulder where it rested. 

"Don't think you have to do this to stay with me!" I said, surprised that James had probably been thinking the same things as me. 

"I know that...but it's very intimidating when your girlfriend has had countless others, probably a tenfold better than I am," 

I knew guys were totally sensitive about things like this. "James, I know this will be better because I'm in love with you. That's going to make the difference, Koibito," 

"There you go with Japanese...what does koibito mean?" 

"I means lover," 

I didn't want to talk with words, I wanted to talk with actions. His face crashed down on mine, filling my mind with thoughts of him. There wasn't much of a difference though because it always seemed as if my thoughts were full of him anyway. 

He moved his right hand from my shoulder to behind my head to get us possibly closer, but didn't really work because our faces couldn't have gotten any closer. 

With his collar in my grasp, I undid the buttons of his pajamas. It was very difficult because my palms were sweating and my hands were shaking. I had a terrible time with the last one, I was shaking so hard James noticed. One of his hands came to my rescue to undo it for me. After, he took my hand and held it, giving me comfort. 

"Oh God," I whimpered as his mouth moved to my collar bone. James knew I liked him to kiss there from our lip-locks in closets. He took my shirt and pulled it up, wanting to free from my clothing to gain access to my body. 

He stopped, panting fiercely from the lack of oxygen. I sat up, pulling on my ankle so my knee would be in front and the rest of my leg behind me. I grabbed his lips and pushed his shirt off his frame. God I loved him. I wanted to be everything he wanted and more. I couldn't say how much I loved him in the two languages I knew or Aya's three languages (English, Japanese and semi-fluent in Russian). 

His skin was so warm against my cotton shirt. I couldn't wait to feel his skin against my own. I pulled my own shirt over my head, unfortunately breaking the fiery kiss. My hands went to his back to hug him. His skin was so warm, so soft against my own pale skin I got from my mother. She is pale just like me. I sometimes look sickly white. 

James took hold of the clasp and unhooked it. I felt the garment rest on my shoulders before I let it fall. I sat nervous at what his reaction might be. My shoulders felt the cold air, still air. I brought both my hands up and took the straps and brought them down my arms, revealing myself to James. My skin was easily red like a wedding kimono my mom wore on her wedding day. But thankfully it wasn't as heavy. 

He took my face and pressed his forehead to mine, I could feel his flesh press to mine, and it felt wonderful. "You are even prettier than I ever imagined," James said, his face smiling at my gloomy face. But it perked up. 

"Really!" I had never expected him to say that since none of the others had even mentioned how pretty I was. 

"Yeah..." I must have glowed at this. He was just so kind, so gentle with his movements when his hand reached down and took hold of my breast. 

"God James..." The two words rolled off my tongue as I fell back onto the bed, laying back and grabbing the head board. I bit my tongue, still in disbelief that James' hand was rubbing me in such intimate ways. 

**

"Lily..." James' voice mumbled in my ear softly and fell atop of me. I closed my eyes, soaking up the last of it. My breath was still erratic and unchanged since his hands had started touching me, rolling over my curves with such passion. 

My eyes closed, playing with James' messy locks. He was much more spent than me, his breath was still fast and constant against my cheek. It sent shivers down my spine. 

His eyes finally met mine, his eye lids sagging down. I grinned. He was just so adorable on top of me. I felt him leave me which I didn't like, but you couldn't exactly go around like could you? 

He hugged me. I could tell he didn't want to leave, but the position we were in would probably ban me and James from seeing each other, and I could have that. 

"I have to go..." He mumbled sitting up. I sat up too. 

"Wait!" I pulled his arm and took his lips with my own pale lips. 

There was a fumble with the door that I didn't notice until it was too late. 

Aya stood in the doorway, her face distraught and her hand clutching dozens of papers. I barely noticed Kathy there with her, her arms loaded with books. 

"Holly Shit..." Her mouth moved as she dropped the papers onto the ground, looking at the two of us scramble to cover ourselves. 

-- 

I wonder why Aya and Kathy are there...I know, I do and you don't = D. I'll tell you this, it's not for a study session. Why would she come all the way from Hogwarts to walk in on James and Lily????? Aren't I evil = P 

Yeah, Figure Skating is hard, very VERY hard. I had a two hour lesson today and I am so tiered...I'm working on a double shalchow and axel. I can land both pretty well now. I also have a competition on the 13 and 14, so you might have to wait a while for 2D, but not as long as 2B, I promise. 


End file.
